Hundreds of families came out to enjoy the holiday spirit and free food at the Springfield Police C3 Unit Christmas Party Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD - It's not every day you get to join a conga line with jolly Saint Nick. 

Nevertheless, many lucky Springfield residents got to boogie down with the world renowned philanthropist at the city's annual C3 Police Unit Christmas party in Forest Park on Saturday. 

The yearly event invites community members out for a free afternoon of food, Christmas gifts and festive fun, as well as a chance to win prizes via a raffle. 

The event was held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holy Name Social Center on Alderman Street and featured a host of family friendly activities. 

Hundreds of families came out to enjoy the fun and holiday spirit, as well as to chat with members of the city's police unit. 

Also present at the event was the 2018 Colleen 2018 Katherine Wagner and members of her inner court. The girls posed for pictures with children, handed out gifts and posed for pictures with families. 

Police are searching for two armed men they said entered a McKnight convenience store just after 8 p.m. Saturday, demanded cash and fled with an undetermined amount of money. No one in the Atlas Mini Market on St. James Avenue was injured in the robbery.

Springfield police are searching for two men who robbed the Atlas Mini Market on St. James Avenue Saturday night.

Springfield Police Department spokesman Ryan Walsh said the two suspects entered the store, showed the employees a firearm, then fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash moments after the 8:07 p.m. robbery.

No one in the store at the time of the incident was injured.

These are the winning numbers in the Powerball lottery drawing Saturday. Watch video

Got lottery fever? The latest Powerball drawing offers a very healthy payout for someone holding a ticket with the right numbers.

File

Here are Saturday's winning numbers:

14-32-34-46-61, Powerball: 10, PowerPlay: 2X

The estimated jackpot is $217 million. The lump sum payment before taxes would be about $125.5 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.

It took years, but Enid Lugo was able to leave homelessness behind.

HOLYOKE -- Enid Lugo is homeless no more.

For the first time in her 56 years, she has her own apartment. But to get there it took getting sober, working fast food jobs, saving sometimes just dollars a week, and help from staff at Friends of the Homeless in Springfield.

On Oct. 1 she moved into her apartment on South Street in Holyoke. She gets tears in her eyes when she talks about her new home and signing the lease.

Lugo was born in Puerto Rico. She lived in New York and then Holyoke before moving back to New York to live with an aunt. She moved back to Western Massachusetts four years ago after reconnecting with her mother, who lives in senior housing in here.

She has been on her own since she was 15, dropping out of school after the ninth grade and surrendering to the world of drugs and alcohol around her.

"That's all I knew," she said. "I was surrounded by drugs and negative people."

She smoked marijuana, then went on to cocaine, crack and alcohol. She said she lied, stole and cheated to feed her habit. "I had to do it," she said. 

She lived in abandoned buildings and slept on the street and on friends' sofas. And then 10 years ago she got sober. 

"I was tired of being tired," she said. "I was feeling dry."

Plus, she had some encounters that made her wonder about whether she'd survive. Sometimes, she said, she took drugs and didn't pay for them, and once an angry dealer threatened her.

Quitting wasn't easy. "But I did it by the grace of God," she said.

That's not to say she hadn't tried to quit before. "It wasn't the right time," she said.

Despite working different jobs and staying drug-free, she still was homeless because she didn't have enough money for a security deposit and first month's rent.

When she moved back to Western Massachusetts, she stayed with relatives briefly but then ended up at Friends of the Homeless. For the first year, she slept in the women's wing of the shelter, then moved into an enhanced single-room occupancy space at the shelter, where she lived for more than a year. 

She's grateful to the shelter staff, who helped her learn to focus on her goal and to save, and showing her what it takes to keep her apartment clean.

"She is hardworking. She had been both persistent and patient," said Bill Miller, vice president of housing and homeless services at Friends of the Homeless. "And she is humble enough to appreciate the assistance we can offer."

"We can't fix everything for people," Miller said. "They have to do a lot on their own. She is a great example of hard work paying off."

Lugo worked at Burger King for years, then started as a personal care assistant in April in Springfield, work she enjoys that also pays her more. And with that, she was finally able to save the $950 she needed for rent and the deposit.

"I love it," Lugo said of her new apartment. "It's bigger, it has a living room and a bedroom. It's got a balcony and I can go outside and breathe. I sleep well."

She has a housing voucher that pays $225 toward her $700 monthly rent, meaning she pays $475 out of pocket. Her rent was going up for her room at the shelter, from $375 to $450. She said paying $25 more for her own apartment was worth it.

She earns about $1,000 a month. Other expenses besides rent include her cellphone, a bus pass for work, and food. She gets $80 a month in food assistance. 

She didn't get discouraged despite how long it took. 

She wants to help inspire others. When she got sober, she said, "it was the first time I ever looked at flowers. I said to myself, (look at) what I am missing."

The number of homeless individuals dropping by nearly 35 percent, from 407 in 2007 to 266 in 2018. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- In 2007, the city committed to ending long-term homelessness within 10 years.

It's now 11 years later, and "homelessness is not over," said Bill Miller, vice president of housing and homeless services at Friends of the Homeless in Springfield.

"All these people with all these complications; the need keeps coming in," he said. 

But those seeking to address homelessness say there have been improvements as well as changes in how they approach the problem.

"We're much better off than in 2005," Miller said, referring to the year he took the helm at the agency.

A new plan addresses homelessness across Hampden County -- not just in Springfield, said Gerry McCafferty, director of the city's office of housing.

Springfield created its "Homes Within Reach" plan in 2007. The following year, people from the three-county area came together to do similar planning, resulting in the "All Roads Lead Home" plan.

McCafferty said the plans were similar, but the Springfield plan focused more on chronic and unsheltered homelessness. The regional plan had more of a focus on family homelessness; at that time, Holyoke, Chicopee and West Springfield had lots of homeless families in motels.

They've learned a lot over time. 

A decade ago, "we underestimated how many people were under-sheltered," she said.

And she said there was a lot housing advocates didn't understand when they initiated the 10-year plan. They "had to acknowledge the homeless population is not static," to look at providing more housing, and acknowledge that people needed to be placed in homes even if they were using alcohol or drugs.

Advocates say there has been progress, with the number of homeless individuals in Springfield dropping by nearly 35 percent, from 407 in 2007 to 266 in 2018. The data is from a point-in-time count, conducted on the last Wednesday in January every year. 

In 2015 the region joined with 70 other communities across the country to participate in an initiative called Community Solutions Model Zero.

The idea is to end chronic and veterans' homelessness "by developing real time data on homelessness, optimizing local housing resources, tracking progress against monthly goals, and accelerating the spread of proven strategies," McCafferty said.

David Havens, program director for homeless housing with MHA Inc. in Springfield, has worked on the issue of homelessness for decades.

While homelessness is still a problem, creating the 10-year plan "brought stakeholders to the table," he said. Before then, he said, "we didn't have the community will. The 10-year plan really created the community approach."

"I think that there has been an evolution on the 10-year plan," Havens said. "It allowed us to get more specific to match people to the right resource."

And he said there has been a change in thinking. Before, the idea was a homeless person needed to meet "housing readiness" standards. He said there were different markers -- for example, a person needed to be sober for six months or a year before they could become a candidate for housing.

"Now we'll take people (and) assume they're ready for housing. Our challenge is how to support them" once they have a place to live, he said.

To help address the issues, a group of 15 providers meets weekly to review those they have identified as chronically homeless on a by-name basis.

Providers have identified 90-plus individuals throughout Hampden County. McCafferty said they have placements for about 25 on the list whom they hope to move into housing, with the focus on placing the most vulnerable people first. But she said they "are continually adding to the list."

Havens said working collaboratively with other agencies "is incredibly helpful. I was there when there wasn't cooperation."

The creation of the by-name program "gives us a chance to work through person by person. We're trying to match people to the opportunities that would best promote success."

Miller said ending homelessness in 10 years "was an ambitious goal we did not achieve."

Now, he said, "Homeless service providers are more integrated." And they are looking at providing homes, not just shelter. 

Friends of the Homeless provides 133 shelter beds but typically takes in 150 people a night, with the overflow sleeping in cots or on floor mats.   

The organization also has 110 units of permanent housing, including 60 single-room occupancy units and 50 enhanced single-room occupancy units. The single-room residents share a common kitchen, while the enhanced units have private kitchens. Residents pay a portion of their income in rent. And they get support to address issues that contributed to their homelessness.

There are many reasons for homelessness, including drug and alcohol use. People with disabilities are also at risk, McCafferty said. She said it's imperative for people to have a stable place to live so they can address the issues contributing to homelessness.

She said providers use a carrot and stick approach. The stick is the threat of eviction if they do things that cause trouble. The carrot is a home.

"The basic issue of homelessness is all about affordable housing. To the extent the housing market gets tighter, it's harder to place people," Havens said. 

His agency has two types of housing programs: one in which the agency rents and then subleases to tenants, and another where the tenant rents directly. MHA has 111 units for homeless people who have mental illness. 

Sarah English, from the Holyoke Office of Viability Inc., which places people in Westfield, Holyoke and Springfield, also said finding housing is the most difficult aspect.

"In Holyoke we're struggling to find landlords to ensure (people) have a decent place to live," she said.

With a HUD voucher, rents have to be capped, so for a one-bedroom apartment the limit is about $850.

Viability has funding for 34 units in the county, English said. And the agency, like other programs, provides support services to help people keep their homes. She said tenants don't have to be sober to find a place to live, but counselors help with sobriety once the residents are settled.

"Trying to maintain (sobriety) is hard to do when you're in a tent," she said.

Friends of the Homeless wants to do what it can to see people settle in to homes as well.

"When we added the resource center, the funders called our facility Worthington House Campus. The notion of a 'campus' gets to the idea there is a goal in mind for people who come: housing is the goal," Miller wrote in an email, adding that another goal is to return people "to the mainstream."

"We have housing on the same 'campus.' A medical clinic, now continuing to enhance clinical services, computers for guests to use to apply for jobs on line. As 'Friends of the Homeless' our job is to help people not be homeless any more. We take that work very seriously."

With two marijuana retail shops open and more on the way, city and town officials across Massachusetts are weighing traffic concerns, crowd control and other issues they'll see if they decide to welcome the new industry.

With two marijuana retail shops open and more on the way, city and town officials across Massachusetts are weighing traffic concerns, crowd control and other issues they'll see if they decide to welcome the new industry.

State regulators hope those officials will get some answers at a December 18 forum in Boston. The forum is open to the public.

"I imagine that the towns or the communities that are potentially next in line are probably looking at the landscape and anticipating what they need to do in order to prepare, and I think that that's a really healthy exercise," said Britte McBride, who is spearheading the forum as a member of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, the regulatory body overseeing the new marijuana industry.

McBride billed it as a chance to get the "straight scoop from folks who have already gone down this road."

"It's a forum for them to hear directly from their peers who have decided to move forward with hosting marijuana establishments and hear what the considerations were in those communities, how those conversations went," McBride added.

The forum, titled "Moving Ahead with Marijuana," runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Social Law Library within the John Adams Courthouse, steps from the State House.

Participants include Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who made one of the first legal purchases of marijuana in Massachusetts when stores opened on Nov. 20, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Hudson executive assistant Thomas Moses, Framingham chief operating officer Thatcher Kezer, and Geoff Kravitz, director of economic development for Amherst.

Marijuana in Massachusetts: Here's where the next retail shops will likely open

The forum will likely touch on topics that include: Whether there should be a cap on businesses, how to navigate political considerations, the handling of law enforcement issues and interactions with the industry.

In putting together the forum, McBride said she is including cities and towns with different governance structures, since those can affect how decisions on marijuana businesses get made.

The forum comes as the sun sets on some city and town officials' moratoriums on marijuana businesses and local officials prepare for the upcoming town meeting season.

The term "marijuana businesses" doesn't mean just retail pot shops, but includes cultivation facilities, product manufacturers, independent testing laboratories, and microbusinesses.

Microbusinesses present a "phenomenal opportunities" for cities and towns since they have lower barrier to entry, with a smaller capital requirement, according to McBride.

'We're in hell;' Leicester residents raise traffic concerns after first week of recreational marijuana sales

The overall industry is still in its early stages.

"In my mind, the way that the industry looks today and the way the industry looks a year from now, I don't know that that's necessarily the way the industry is going to look ten years from now, because I think we have a situation where you have municipalities that maybe have a ban and they're not sure, ultimately, that might not be a forever ban," McBride said.

"I think this is going to be a landscape that's going to be evolving for some period of time in Massachusetts," she said.

Lincoln Smith will allow a student to shave his head in an effort to raise money for Toy for Joy.

Springfield - Raffle tickets are only $1 but the prize is priceless.

"I've decided that the person with the winning raffle ticket can shave my head," said Lincoln Smith, the music director at Veritas Preparatory Charter School, who will announce the winner during the school's winter concert Dec. 20.

Proceeds of the raffle will go to Toy for Joy, a collaborative effort by the Salvation Army, The Republican and MassLive that provides toys and books to children in needy families in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Now in its 96th year, the campaign's goal is to raise $150,000 by Christmas Eve.

So far, the campaign has raised $17,426, leaving $132,574 needed in the coming two weeks. The Veritas students will join a host of donors who contribute gifts large and small to help make Christmas bright for thousands of children across the region.

Today's list of generous donors include two area businesses, McNeill Heating and Air Conditioning Co., of West Springfield, and the Connecticut Valley Artesian Well Co., of East Longmeadow, which have been regular donors to Toy for Joy for many years.

"We are grateful for each and every donor, large and small," said Cynthia G. Simison, assistant to the publisher and managing editor of The Republican. "School groups help make the campaign very special because they are young people who are helping other young people who may not be as fortunate as they are."

"Community service has always been very important to me and that is something I wanted to share with my students as well," Smith said. "There are a lot of wonderful national organizations, but I wanted something that would benefit families right here in Springfield and I heard so many good things about Toy for Joy."

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by anyone, but if it's not a student, the ticket must be in the name of a student.

"I want students and teachers to participate, but it will be more fun if a student wins the prize," he said.

Toy for Joy is also partnering this year with the Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation for a second year to help ensure each child receives a new book.

For the third year in a row, Pride Stores is partnering with Toy for Joy. Pride locations in Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut will rally its customers in November and December to help contribute to Toy for Joy. Customers can go into any Pride in the area and purchase a $1, $5 or $10 donation card for Toy for Joy.

To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, 1860 Main St., Springfield, MA 01101. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon which accompanies this story to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through noon on Dec. 21. You can also donate online here.

Police did not release the name of the assailant because a state law bans officers from publicizing the name of those charged in domestic abuse cases.

BRIDGEWATER - An East Falmouth woman accused of stabbing a family member during a fight on a highway ramp was arrested.

The 36-year-old woman's name has not been released due to the state law banning police from publicizing the name of suspects in domestic assaults. She faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family or household member, second offense, Massachusetts State Police said.

The investigation is continuing and she may face more charges, police said.

Her victim, a 32-year-old Saugus woman was stabbed in the leg. She was brought to the Good Samaritan Hospital by Bridgewater Emergency Medical Services for treatment.

The stabbing occurred when a 2019 Jeep Cherokee stopped on the Route 24 North ramp to Interstate-495 at about 1:30 p.m., Saturday. According to witnesses, the assailant and victim exited the vehicle, the victim was stabbed and her assailant got back into the vehicle and left, police said.

The injured woman was left on the side of the road, police said.

Early in the investigation police issued an alert asking all officers in the region to watch for the Jeep. The suspect was located a short time later and arrested at the Red Fox Inn on Route 1 in Foxborough, police said.

Police are seeking a description of the first car that struck the woman.

WEST BOYLSTON - A 19-year-old woman was struck by two vehicles and killed after she had exited her own car which had rolled over in a previous accident.

Massachusetts State Police are now seeking the identity of the driver of one vehicle who struck her and then fled the scene.

The victim, who is from Leominster, lost control of her 2008 Infiniti at about 2:20 a.m., Sunday, on Route 190. Her car went off the left side of the road and rolled over onto the median, police said.

She then climbed out of her car, hiked up a 20-foot embankment and walked onto Route 190 northbound. She was then struck in the right travel lane by the unidentified vehicle, police said.

The driver of a second vehicle, a 2008 Mazda, also struck the woman. The 40-year-old Leominster man who was driving that car remained on the scene, police said.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name will not be released until family members can be notified, police said.

No charges were immediately filed against the second driver, police said.

The preliminary investigation was conducted by Sgt. Michael Butler. The crash remains under investigation by several divisions of the State Police including Troop C, the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the Crime Scene Services Section, and the detective unit for Worcester County. Police were assisted on the scene by West Boylston Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the state Medical Examiner's Office and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Route 190 northbound was shut down at Exit 4 for nearly four hours.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about the unidentified vehicle is asked to call the Holden Barracks at 508-829-8410.

Doctors at Baystate Medical Center said police saved the victim's life by providing first aid at the scene.

SPRINGFIELD -- Police saved the life of a stabbing victim and tracked down a suspect accused of the crime through a GPS monitoring device on Friday.

The name of the suspect and the charges were not released due to a state law banning police from publicizing information about domestic assaults, Ryan Walsh, police spokesman, said.

A caller reported a stabbing at about 2:20 a.m. but when police arrived they could not find the victim.

Officer Sian Simpson, who was nearby, then followed the sound of an alarm to a home of Shaine Circle where he found the victim with serious injuries, he said.

"He was able to gain entry into the home and located a victim and immediately applied first aid," Walsh said.

Soon after Officers Sievo Jimenez and Dennis Borrero arrived as back-up and assisted in providing medical care until an AMR ambulance arrived. The victim was then taken to Baystate Medical Center, he said.

"Doctors at Baystate stated the officers' medical care saved the victim's life," he said.

After the victim was cared for, police learned the suspect was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet and were able to track down the person with the help of a city K9 officer and his dog. The suspect was arrested on Savoy Avenue, about a quarter-mile from where the victim was found, police said.

None of the skiers were injured in the three hours it took them to find their way out of the woods.

KILLINGTON, VT - Police and ski patrollers spent about three hours helping three Massachusetts skiers who got lost in the woods find their way to safety in the dark and in frigid temperatures.

The three, all of Uxbridge, called for help at about 3:30 p.m., Saturday, saying they were skiing in Killington ended up out of bounds and were lost in the woods. It was 11 degrees at the time of the call and a half-hour before lifts close for the day, police said.

Based on information given by one of the three, troopers responded to the area of Wheelerville Road, in Mendon, which is a common spot where lost people end up after they ski off marked trails from the top of the mountain, police said.

Troopers and the Killington Ski Patrol helped the three, identified as Benjamin Landry, 17, Ryan Loach, 19, and Matthew Fonseca, 22, navigate their way out of the woods. They were escorted out at about 6:15 p.m. and returned to the base of the mountain.

None of the three were injured, police said.

The restaurant is the first redesigned Dunkin' in Western Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD - A new Dunkin' store is opening at Springfield College and will showcase the latest design and innovative system for iced coffee and other cold drinks.

The popular chain coffee shop - which is now called Dunkin' after the company recently dropped Donuts from the name - will open on Monday at 253 Alden St. in the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union at Springfield College. The store will hold a campus-only grand opening from 9 to 11 a.m., said Sara Westhaver, spokeswoman for the business.

The restaurant is the first redesigned Dunkin' in Western Massachusetts and one of about 50 newly redesigned or remodeled coffee shops company-wide, she said in a written announcement.

A highlight of the design is a new and innovative tap system that will serve eight consistently-cold drinks including iced teas, cold brew coffee and nitro infused cold brew coffee. Employees will also use top-quality expresso machines in the store, she said.

The new Dunkin' will also feature a modern design and new uniforms designed by Life is Good, she said.

"We are thrilled to be a part of Dunkin's next generation store initiative and can't wait to bring this innovative new restaurant to the Springfield College community," David Ingala, General Manager for Aramark at Springfield College, the location's franchisee, said in the announcement.

Dunkin' Donuts first opened under a different name in 1948 in Quincy. There are now 12,500 coffee shops located in 40 different countries.

The Greg Hill Foundation will hold the fundraiser on Monday at WAAF FM 107.3. It will match the first $10,000 donated.

WORCESTER - The Greg Hill Foundation will hold an on-air radio fundraiser to take donations for the family of Firefighter Christopher Roy, who died Sunday while fighting a blaze in a multi-family home, and the residents who were displaced in the fire.

The foundation, created by radio station WAAF to address immediate needs of people facing tragedy, will hold the fundraiser Monday. It will match all donations up to $10,000, radio officials said.

People can tune in at FM 107.3 to listen and find out information about how to help, officials said.

The fire at the multi-family home on Lowell St. was reported at about 4 a.m. When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the second and third floors of the building.

Spreading flames forced firefighters to evacuate the second floor during the blaze. Some escaped on ladders but Roy and a second firefighter were trapped. They were freed from the flames and taken to the hospital where Roy later died. The second firefighter is recovering and was released from the hospital.

More than a dozen people who lived in the six-unit, three-story building were displaced and many lost all their possessions. Fire officials have not yet released a final number of the number of people displaced yet.

Roy, 36, of Shrewsbury, joined the department 2 1/2 years ago. He is the father of a 9-year-old girl.

Zack Mazzocca, 28, of Burlington was charged with trafficking in over 100 grams of heroin.

STURBRIDGE - One man was arrested and more than 500 bags of heroin were confiscated in a joint investigation into drug dealing.

Zack Mazzocca, 28, of Burlington was arrested in a traffic stop on Friday on Route 15 and charged with trafficking in heroin over 100 grams, Sturbridge Police said.

Police seized cash and the heroin during the arrest, police said.

The arrest came during a joint investigation with Sturbridge Police, Southbridge Police detectives and the Massachusetts State Police, police said.

The Patriots' loss falls squarely on their coach's shoulders.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Ryan Tannehill knew better than Bill Belichick did.

Rob Gronkowski should not have been on the field for the final snap of the Dolphins' shocking 34-33 win over New England on Sunday.

Tannehill's game-winning 69-yard pass, first sustained by a couple laterals, was immortalized because Kenyan Drake was allowed to engage in a foot race with Gronkowski starting at the 10-yard line. At that moment, even with a flock of Patriots chasing Drake from behind, it was over.

"I was like, 'Gronk's on the field. We got this!'" Tannehill recalled thinking.

Deployed as the last line of defense in the Patriots' Hail Mary package, Gronkowski's job is strictly to defend that type of throw; the deep, desperate parabola that more or less doubles as a white flag. Use his 6-foot-6 frame to get up and get the ball. 

That throw, of course, never came. It never was going to come. 

When Tannehill first released the ball to Kenny Stills, his front foot rested on Miami's 22-yard line. Tannehill, like most quarterbacks, can't cover 78 yards in a single throw. Even if he stepped up all the way into the pocket, that's a 69-yard attempt with no more than a prayer's chance of reaching the end zone.

Dolphins coach Adam Gase understood. That's why he called for a hook-and-lateral.

Belichick, on the other hand, should've recognized the constraints the Dolphins faced due to their field position and the time remaining. He either didn't or flat-out misjudged them. 

THE MIRACLE AT HARD ROCK STADIUM

[?] >> @NFLonCBS#NEvsMIA #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Aoc1L5LcGG

-- Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 9, 2018

There's a case to be made no player should have been as deep as Gronkowski was with so much field available to do damage. The Patriots practice multiple defenses for this type of scenario, with safeties aligned at various depths.

But let's say they remain in the same personnel grouping and formation filled out by one Hail Mary specialist (Gronkowski), three defensive linemen, a linebacker and six defensive backs. And let's accept the unreasonable belief that Miami may have attempted a Hail Mary there. The big, lumbering tight end still should've been replaced. 

New England had a perfect replacement standing on its sideline: 6-foot-4 Obi Melifonwu. 

The second-year safety recorded a 44-inch vertical leap at the NFL Combine two years ago. He can tackle. He understands leverage. He may be the best pure athlete on the team. 

And, best of all, his full-time job is to play defense.

Don't trust Melifonwu? OK. How about Devin McCourty? 

McCourty was on the bench for perhaps the most gutting regular-season loss of his career, while Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon stayed back with Gronkowski. No one on New England's roster has seen or helped defend more deep balls than him. The Patriots sure could've used their defensive captain at a time like that.

Instead, there was Gronkowski, at the end of his best game in three months, suffering from a front-row view of the Patriots' worst loss of the year. But don't blame him.

Gronk never should've been there in the first place.

Read obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Here are the obituaries published this weekend in The Republican:

Obituaries from The Republican, Dec. 8-9, 2018

NorthStar plans to decommission the site on an expedited schedule.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant will soon have a new owner.

The Vermont Public Utilities Commission last week approved the sale of the shuttered 604-megawatt plant from Entergy, its former operator, to NorthStar Group Services, a private decommissioning firm.

NorthStar proposes to decommission the site by 2030, instead of by 2075 as Entergy had planned.

The plant in Vernon, Vermont, which stopped producing electricity in 2014, is located on the Connecticut River just north of the Massachusetts border.

The state approval followed two years of negotiation, as regulators sought to ensure that NorthStar had the financial resources and know-how to complete the work.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled in October that NorthStar was qualified to hold Entergy's 20-year federal license.

NorthStar personnel have already completed preliminary work, and are preparing for the removal of the power plant's reactor, according to VTDigger.

The closing on the sale is expected in early 2019.

Charlemont has decided to build its own fiber optic broadband network instead of accepting a cheaper cable option from Comcast. The $462,123 Comcast proposal, which would have connected 96 percent of households with high-speed internet, was rejected by town meeting voters last Thursday. The defeat means Charlemont will likely advance a $1.4 million project to create a town-owned fiber...

Charlemont has decided to build its own fiber optic broadband network instead of accepting a cheaper cable option from Comcast.

The $462,123 Comcast proposal, which would have connected 96 percent of households with high-speed internet, was rejected by town meeting voters last Thursday.

The defeat means Charlemont will likely advance a $1.4 million project to create a town-owned fiber network, as approved by town meeting voters in 2015.

The Hawlemont Regional School auditorium was filled to the brim, around 160 paper ballots were cast, and in an unofficial count, the Comcast proposal failed by 20 votes, according to the Greenfield Recorder.

The Franklin County town has been working with Westfield Gas & Electric and its Whip City Fiber division, and a network design is already in place, said Broadband Committee chair Bob Handsaker. The project funding would come from a combination of local taxation and a state infrastructure grant.

Westfield Gas & Electric is now working with at least 20 Western Massachusetts towns to build municipally owned fiber optic networks.

The Massachusetts House last week passed a bill to create a state-run unemployment benefits program for locked out workers.

The leaders of the Massachusetts Senate from both parties said Monday that the Senate "is prepared to take action if needed" to help end the National Grid lockout.

"We call on National Grid to end their lockout immediately and allow the workers to get back to work now," Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said in a joint statement. "We believe the two parties can continue negotiations -- and they must continue negotiations -- while allowing these families to put food on their table, take care of their children's pressing health needs, and enjoy their holidays together."

The two said: "This process has gone on long enough, and the Senate is prepared to take action if needed." 

National Grid workers have been locked out of their jobs, with no salary or benefits, since June, as the management and union have failed to agree on a contract.

With their employment benefits set to run out soon, the Massachusetts House last week passed a bill that would create a state-run unemployment benefits program, which would be paid for by the employer, that would essentially extend unemployment benefits to any utility worker who is locked out. 

The statement by Spilka and Tarr is the first indication that the Senate may be willing to pass the bill as well. They did not say when a vote would be scheduled.

A separate bill being considered by the Legislature, which has not yet been voted on by either body, would require a company that locks out its workers to continue to offer them health insurance.

National Grid managers plan to meet again with the unions this Thursday "to discuss key issues related to economics, benefits and safety," according to a statement from the unions.

William Hartley seeks a special permit for 'The Verb is Herb,' described as a 'mom and pop' downtown cannabis shop.

EASTHAMPTON -- A Connecticut man who plans a downtown cannabis shop appeared before the Planning Board last Tuesday, and was told he needs to come back with more detailed information.

William Hartley seeks a special permit for "The Verb is Herb" at 74 Cottage St., a small storefront wedged between a nail salon and art supply store. Hartley described a "mom and pop" retail operation that would sell marijuana grown by other entities. 

Hartley and consultant Steven Chaisson described security protocols. The storefront operation would not need its own parking, as a grandfathered retail use. Planning Board member James Zarvis, who chaired the meeting, said he does not want to see long lines of people queued down Cottage and Pine streets, and a David Ciak, a local landlord, concurred.

Hartley has submitted an application to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, and said he expects to hear back about his provisional retail license before the end of the year.

The board voted to continue the hearing until January 15 at 6 p.m. City Planner Jeffrey Bagg said he he and the board want to see an opening day plan, a revised plan for handling lines of customers, and a sign-off from Police Chief Robert Alberti.

Bagg has posted the group's application materials to the city website.