Black Friday Shopping Forecast

A storm tracking over us today will begin to move away this afternoon taking the heavy rain with it.

A Flood Watch is in effect through 4 PM Wed. for most of Western MA particularly for street flooding. 2-3 inches of rain is likely across southern and central New England. We've been dry, so not much concern for larger rivers and streams, but woes for travelers with hydroplaning conditions will be the greatest impact.

Some areas have received quite a winter storm from western PA and NY and even into northern New England. The Berkshires will also end wintry with a light accumulation in snow showers Wednesday night as colder air returns.

We return to sunshine and a winter chill Thanksgiving Day through Saturday.

View full sizeThanksgiving Day Forecast MapCBS3 Springfield Meteorologist Nick Morganelli 

This afternoon: Light to moderate showers ending near sunset. Total 2-3 inches. High 55.

Tonight: (Hanukkah begins) Snow showers and flurries developing. NW wind 20-30 mph. Low near 18, Wind chill in single-digits late.

Thanksgiving Day: Sunshine and wind. High 32. NW 20-30 mph. Wind chill in the teens.

Black Friday: Sunny, but cold and breezy. High near 34.

Small Business Saturday: Sunshine. High 38.

A front seat passenger had 39 bags of heroin and the driver later told police she had been pistol-whipped, police said.

 

ENFIELD – Police are working to unravel a complex scenario that includes a vehicle crash on Enfield Street, a backseat passenger in that vehicle with a gunshot wound to the throat, a front seat passenger with 39 bags of heroin, and a female driver who told police that she had been pistol-whipped.

The Hartford Courant reports that a police officer discovered the crash while driving on Enfield Street at about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The shooting victim was taken to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford for surgery, according to the Courant.

Police Chief Carl Sferrazza told the Courant that Fernando Polentino, 24, has been charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, but could face more charges.

The driver, a Windsor woman, told police she was pistol-whipped and that she escaped after the vehicle crashed.

Sferrazza said police found a firearm in the vehicle and paperwork that led officers to the driver in Windsor, the Courant reported.

WWLP reported the crash occurred just south of Manning Road, which is less than a mile south away from the Longmeadow line.

Police, including Sferrazza, were not immediately available to comment Wednesday.

Inclement weather and heavy holiday traffic could create a perfect storm, of sorts, though overall Thanksgiving travel is expected to dip slightly this year.

Republican file photo 

SPRINGFIELD — Going to grandma's house for Thanksgiving? Well, you may want to take some deep, cleansing breaths before hitting the road on Wednesday, which promises to deliver a double-punch of holiday traffic compounded by lousy weather.

The good news, though, is that overall holiday travel in New England is expected to decline about 2.5 percent this year, according to AAA Southern New England.

And for those bracing to see red – as in red brake lights on the Massachusetts Turnpike – they may actually find less drivers on Bay State roadways, with AAA predicting a 2.7 percent decline despite the lowest gas prices since Thanksgiving 2010.

Traffic throughout the state is expected to be heaviest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, with certain MassPike exits backing up more than others.

The Interstate 84 junction with the turnpike in Sturbridge is one of those likely choke points. Throw in the junctions of interstates 95 and 495 for good measure, both of which are notoriously slow sections of the pike on good-weather days. Add in the bad weather and holiday traffic, and it's a recipe for a perfect storm of sorts.

"Turnpike transaction data tells us that we will see heavy traffic volumes on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving," state highway chief Frank DePaola said, urging motorists to hit the road early Thursday if they can wait.

Nationwide, AAA is predicting about 43.4 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving weekend – a drop of 1.5 percent from the 44 million who traveled last year.

Jeff Smidt, of Toronto, was planning to travel on Wednesday to visit his family near Boston, but first he had to try to wrangle his way onto an earlier flight. If those plans don't pan out, he said, he's prepared to take a long ride on the MassPike. "Worst comes to worst, it will be an eight-hour trek down Interstate 90," Smidt said.

On the weather front, CBS3 Springfield meteorologist Nick Morganelli said a flood watch is in effect through 4 p.m. Wednesday for most of Western Massachusetts, sections of which could experience street flooding.

Two to 3 inches of rain is likely across southern and central New England, according to Morganelli, which could make driving conditions ripe for hydroplaning.

While the wind is not expected to be major factor in the Pioneer Valley and elsewhere throughout Western Massachusetts, some central and eastern parts of the state could see wind speeds in excess of 50 mph, Morganelli said.

Today's high temperature for greater Springfield could reach a balmy 55 degrees, but colder weather is on tap for Thursday through Saturday, when temperatures will likely hover in the low 30s. However, the windchill could make it seem much colder, according to weather forecasters. Blustery conditions will prevail through Thanksgiving, with wind speeds gusting up to 30 mph in some parts of Massachusetts.

In general, heavy rain and windy conditions are expected to hit the East Coast from the Carolinas to the Northeast on Wednesday. Ice and snow is a possibility in the Appalachians, western Pennsylvania, western New York and the Berkshires. Snow totals from the Ohio Valley to the interior of the Northeast are expected to be less than 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Many travelers marveled at how orderly and anxiety-free the airports were during what is typically one of the busiest days of the year.

By MICHELLE R. SMITH
and JASON KEYSER

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A wet and blustery storm along the East Coast made driving hazardous and tangled up hundreds of flights Wednesday but didn’t cause the all-out gridlock many Thanksgiving travelers had feared.

Many travelers marveled at how orderly and anxiety-free the airports were during what is typically one of the busiest days of the year.

One big question lingered in New York: Will high winds ground Snoopy and the other giant cartoon-character balloons at the Macy’s parade on Thanksgiving Day?

The storm for the most part unleashed wind-driven rain along the Northeast’s heavily populated Interstate 95 corridor from Richmond, Va., to the tip of Maine.

Emerging from the weather gantlet was Katie Fleisher, who made it by car from Portsmouth, N.H., through rain and fog to Boston’s Logan Airport with little trouble and discovered to her amazement that the panicked, cranky crowds she expected were nonexistent.

“We thought it would be busier here. But there’ve been no lines, and it has been really quiet all morning,” said Fleisher, whose plan was to fly to Pittsburgh.

“Our flight is still on time, but we are checking the app every couple minutes,” she said. “We are nervous, as we are traveling with two 1-year-olds, and any extra time on a plane would be horrible.”

The storm was expected to drop around 6 inches of snow in parts of West Virginia and western Pennsylvania and up to a foot in a pocket of upstate New York.

Damaging winds gusting up to 60 mph were expected to rip through Boston and other coastal areas.

Those winds could prevent the giant balloons from taking flight this year at the Macy’s parade. Safety rules that specify wind speeds were enacted in New York after a spectator was killed in 1997 in an accident involving an out-of-control balloon.

Flight cancellations piled up at East Coast hubs. By midday Wednesday, around 250 flights had been canceled, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com.

But that was a tiny fraction of the nearly 32,000 flights that were scheduled to, from or within the U.S. on Wednesday, the site said. And the weather in many places was improving as the day wore on.

Most of the cancellations involved Newark, N.J., Philadelphia and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

The longest delays affected Philadelphia-bound flights, which were being held at their points of origin for an average of about two hours because of the weather, according to the website.

The Philadelphia area was under a flood watch, with 2 to 3 inches of rain forecast before falling temperatures turn precipitation to snow.

Roads there were snarled. A deadly multivehicle crash that authorities said happened when a car hit standing water and spun out of control closed the westbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway for a while, and the eastbound lanes were shut down for several hours because of flooding.

At a rest stop on I-95 outside Boston, a Vermont family traveling to Sharon, Mass., was relieved that the roads were not that congested – and the weather didn’t prove to be too much trouble, either.

“We didn’t think we were going to get out today because of freezing rain, but it has been great,” said Liz Kleinberg.

The storm, which developed in the West over the weekend, has been blamed for at least 11 deaths, five of them in Texas.

But as it moved east, it wasn’t as bad as feared.

“This is a fairly typical storm for this time of year,” said Chris Vaccaro of the National Weather Service. “Obviously, it’s ill-timed because you have a lot of rain and snowfall in areas where people are trying to move around town or fly or drive out of town. ... But fortunately, we’re at this point going to start seeing a steady improvement in conditions across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.”

More than 43 million people are expected to travel over the long holiday weekend, according to AAA. About 39 million of those will be on the roads, while more than 3 million people are expected to fly.

Travelers had some things to be thankful for this year.

The Federal Aviation Administration last month lifted restrictions on most personal electronic devices during takeoffs and landings, and some airlines, including American, have already begun allowing passengers to stay powered up from gate to gate.

And on the ground, gas prices dipped to an average of $3.29 a gallon.

Associated Press Writers Tracee Herbaugh in Boston, Don Babwin in Chicago, Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia, Kristi Eaton in Oklahoma City, Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee, John Mone in Houston, Karen Matthews in New York, Samantha Henry in Newark, N.J.; and Brett Barrouquere in Louisville, Ky., contributed to this report.

The Police Department official who decides whether the balloons are allowed to fly said he’s optimistic that nasty weather will clear up in time for the iconic inflatables to get airborne.

By JAKE PEARSON

NEW YORK – The weather is looking up for Snoopy, Spidey and the rest of the giant balloons that take to the skies for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The New York Police Department official who decides whether the balloons are allowed to fly said Wednesday he’s optimistic that nasty weather will clear up in time for the iconic inflatables to get airborne, though a final determination will be made Thursday morning.

“It looks good,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol James Hall, attending an inspection of the 16 large balloons including Snoopy, Spider-Man and SpongeBob SquarePants that are a hallmark of the annual parade. “It looks very good.”

A storm bringing the East Coast a messy mix of snow, rain and wind could still ground the giant balloons. The iconic characters that soar between the Manhattan skyscrapers every year cannot lift off Thursday if sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts exceed 34 mph, according to city rules enacted after fierce winds in 1997 caused a Cat in the Hat balloon to topple a light pole and seriously injure a woman spectator.

Current forecasts call for sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts of 36 mph.

Hall said Thursday each balloon will be manned by between 30 and 60 handlers who train throughout the year in large parking lots throughout New York and New Jersey – including in the Meadowlands sports complex in New Jersey where the New York Giants football team plays.

“If there’s something I see that I don’t like, I can say lower the balloon and I can say remove the balloon but, you know, I think really at the latest reports that we’ve gotten from the National Weather Service, I think we’re gonna be in good shape tomorrow,” he said.

During the parade, each balloon is accompanied by an NYPD supervisor and is tethered to a vehicle, officials said. If the balloons are cleared to fly and then winds suddenly pick up, they’ll be lowered immediately, steered to a side street where handlers will then deflate them, Hall said.

Hillary Barber, 30, visiting from Chattanooga, Tenn., was watching the balloons get inflated on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Wednesday and said she was planning on watching the parade despite chilly and wet weather.

“I’m going to stay in the cold, and watch the whole thing,” she said. “It’s amazing. I’ve grown up watching the parade.”

Balloons have only been grounded once in the parade’s 87-year history, when bad weather kept them from flying in 1971.

The parade was awash in animal-related protests over its floats, with controversies involving the unlikely pairing of rocker Joan Jett and Shamu the killer whale.

Activists planned to line the parade route to protest a SeaWorld float over accusations in a new documentary that the theme parks treat whales badly. And ranchers succeeded in getting Jett pulled off the South Dakota tourism float after they questioned why the vegetarian and animal-rights ally was representing their beef-loving state.

SeaWorld says the accusations have “absolutely no basis” and that “the men and women who care for these animals at SeaWorld are dedicated in every respect to their health and well-being.”

Macy’s said the parade does not engage in social commentary or political debate.

Herman believed he was communicating with a 36-year-old single mother with a young daughter, and tried in multiple telephone and online conversations to arrange illegal sexual encounters with the child in New York and New Jersey, investigators said.

NEWARK, N.J. – A tearful former New York City radio personality made his first appearance in federal court Wednesday, five weeks after he was arrested in the U.S. Virgin Islands and charged with trying to arrange to have sex with a 7-year-old girl.

David Herman 

David Herman didn’t enter a plea before U.S. Magistrate Mark Falk and will remain jailed pending a hearing to determine whether he will be released on bail while he awaits trial. Herman was caught in a sting operation, and his attorney said investigators pushed his client into implicating himself.

Herman believed he was communicating with a 36-year-old single mother with a young daughter, and tried in multiple telephone and online conversations to arrange illegal sexual encounters with the child in New York and New Jersey, investigators said. At one point he allegedly indicated he wanted to fly the pair to St. Croix so he could engage in sexual activity with the child there. The woman was actually an undercover officer employed by Bergen County, and the child was fictional.

Herman purchased airline tickets for the pair to fly from LaGuardia airport to St. Croix, according to prosecutors. He arrived at the airport on Oct. 24 to pick them up, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, but was instead arrested by special agents of U.S. Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Herman’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said Herman only engaged in banter about the child because he was interested in the 36-year-old, and that the woman, not Herman, initiated conversations about the child.

“There was an attempt by the investigator to get him to say things on tape to implicate himself,” he said.

Herman was a well-known disc jockey at FM radio station WNEW in New York. Agnifilo said Herman suffers from emphysema and before his arrest was “just happy that a 36-year-old woman wanted to come to St. Croix to see him.”

He acknowledged the undercover officer came across Herman in a chat room “that dealt mostly with incest.”

Herman has been in custody since his arrest and arrived in New Jersey on Tuesday, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The 77-year-old walked into court in handcuffs and yellow prison garb. He spoke during the hearing only to say that he understood his rights, and he appeared to be crying when he looked out into the gallery.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Navarro told the judge Wednesday that the government would oppose bail and called Herman “a severe danger to the community.”

Herman is charged with attempting to transport a minor in interstate commerce with the intent of engaging in illegal sexual activity. If convicted, he could face life in prison and would have to serve a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence, a U.S. attorney’s office spokeswoman said.

Some of the funds will be used to rebuild bridges in the Frank Stanley Beveridge Wildlife Sanctuary in Stanley Park.

Gov. Deval PatrickRepublicn Photo 

BOSTON - More than $1 million in grants will go regional non-profit agencies and municipalities to pay for work on 32 trails across the state.

The funding was announced by Gov. Deval Patrick and members of his administration who said the $1,023,284 in grants were awarded in conjunction with a required contribution from the recipients.

The money includes funding for recreational trail projects in Westfield, Ware, Monson, Chesterfield, Hardwick and Worthington.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded more $10 million to fund a variety of trail construction for 500 projects in the past 20 years.

The Opacum Land Trust in Monson was granted $10,400, with a required $24,969 match to upgrade the Flynt Quarry Lands. The grant also will be used by the land trust to research the development of an interpretive trail exploring the history of the Flynt Granite Quarry.

Stanley Park in Westfield was awarded $6,158.58, with a $2,600 match to repair bridges and boardwalks at Frank Stanley Beveridge Wildlife Sanctuary. That section of the park has been closed since 2011 because of storm damage.

The state grant includes $50,000 to Ware. The town’s match is $15,332. The money will be used to build two bridges to traverse streams along a town-owned former railroad right of way near Gibbs Crossing. Plans have been in the works to use that 1.7 mile section of the trail for a bicycle path, and known as the Ware River Valley Greenway Trail.

Ware River Snowmobile Club received $10,770 and their match is $2,818. The money will be to purchase a grooming machine. The club is expected to complete trail maintenance on Ware conservation land in coordination with the East Quabbin Land Trust to maintain snowmobile trails in Hardwick.

The Worthington Snowmobile Club was granted $49,725, and their match is $11,916.96 to buy a tractor for winter grooming and to remove downed trees and other maintenance work.

Chesterfield Four Seasons Club was awarded $17,500 and their required match is $4,460. The funds will be used to build a new kiosk and provide a large trail map with a listing of groups that use the area trails. The money will also be used to groom the trails.

Available at the temporary shop will be paintings to sculptures and jewelry, soap and clothing.

HOLYOKE -- Locally made works of art and crafts will be for sale in a "pop up" shop at 56 Suffolk St. that will be open Friday and each weekend until Christmas.

The Holiday Holyoke Pop-up Shop will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., a press release said.

The temporary shop will have works by professionals and hobbyists that include jewelry, paintings, ornaments, soap, furniture, photographs, sculpture, clothing and more, the press release said. For information email popupshop01040@gmail.com.

After Santa's arrival, the tree outside City Hall will be lit and carriage rides and hot chocolate will be available.

HOLYOKE -- Santa Claus is scheduled arrive Saturday at 5 p.m. on the Pioneer Valley Railroads’ Polar Express Train outside the Merry Go Round at Holyoke Heritage State Park.

The Christmas tree at City Hall at High and Dwight streets will be lit shortly after. The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. with music, crafts and snacks inside City Hall, said a press release from the office of Mayor Alex B. Morse.

"There will be horse drawn carriage rides, hot chocolate, cookies, carolers, ice sculpting, Merry Go Round rides, and more," the press release said.

The rare sungrazing Comet ISON is racing toward a close encounter on Thanksgiving with the sun, and people in Massachusetts, New England and across the globe hope it survives its one and only visit to the inner solar system.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Comet ISON 2013: When and where to see the sungrazing Thanksgiving comet [Joe Deburro]

2) Off-duty Massachusetts state trooper, accused of being drunk, high on crack following Route 1 crash in Revere, suspended without pay [Patrick Johnson]

3) Vermont State Police: Longmeadow resident Brendan Anderson wanted in connection with alleged assault [Conor Berry]

4) Enfield police: Backseat passenger of vehicle that crashed near Longmeadow line had gunshot wound to throat [George Graham]

5) Thieves steal $500,000 of items from Michael Kors store at Lee Premium Outlets [Associated Press]

The victim was 19.

UPDATE, 11:28 a.m.: This story and its headline were modified to correct the age of the victim. He was 23, police said in a statement to the media.

SPRINGFIELD -- A city man was killed in an early morning single-car crash on Parker Street.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the 4:09 a.m. crash left the car, a MINI Cooper, on its side, pinned against a utility pole and a tree. Firefighters extricated the driver. There were no passengers.

11.28.2013 | SPRINGFIELD -- Parker Street was closed at Ellendale Circle and Oak Hollow Road in the wake of the crash. The road reopened just before 8 a.m.Greg Saulmon | The Republican

The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was 23, said Springfield police Sgt. John M. Delaney.

Spray paint marks left by an accident reconstruction team were visible around a traffic island at Parker Street and Oak Hollow Road, where a fire hydrant was severed. The marks trace the path of the car back across Parker Street, where the vehicle came to rest at the corner of Ellendale Circle.

"The driver, who was partially thrown from the vehicle and crushed underneath, was pronounced dead at the scene," Delaney wrote in a statement to the media.

Parker Street was closed in the area of Ellendale Circle in the wake of the crash. The road reopened at 7:56 a.m., when the car was removed from the scene.

Officer Edward Hiney of the Springfield Police Department. Traffic Bureau's Fatal Squad is investigating the crash.

This is a developing story. Updates will be posted as our reporting continues. Below, a map showing the location of the crash.

Needy famiies with children under 16 are eligible.

View full sizeTo get a printable version of this coupon that you can mail in with your donation, click on "view full size" above. 

SPRINGFIELD - Registration begins Monday for the 91st annual Toy for Joy campaign, sponsored by The Republican and the Salvation Army, with the help of campaign partner Hasbro.

Needy families with children 16 and under can register beginning Monday at participating Toy for Joy locations.

Ronda Ferreira, captain of the Greater Springfield Citadel of the Salvation Army, said she is thrilled for the partnership with The Republican and Hasbro.

Last year Toy for Joy served 3,021 families and 14,199 children.

“We are expecting a similar number this year,” Ferreira said.

Registration will be held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Springfield unit at Greater Springfield Citadel, 170 Pearl St.

Registration will be Dec. 9 to 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holyoke unit, until Dec. 6 at the Westfield unit and Dec. 2 and 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Greenfield unit.

For more information, call (413) 733-1518.

This year’s Toy for Joy campaign has a $150,000 fund-raising goal by Christmas Eve.

The campaign has begun with more than $500 received in donations during the summer from friends and family of the late Lisa Sawicki, of Chicopee, who died at home in August after fighting cancer.

The head medical clerk at the Hampden County House of Correction in Ludlow, Sawicki, 48, was a volunteer for Toys for Tots. Near the end of her life, she asked friends and family to make a toy donation to Toys for Tots or a monetary donation to the Toy for Joy campaign.

Hasbro Inc. of East Longmeadow is donating toys and games for the program, and employees will volunteer to help with registration and unload and hand out the toys and games.

Wayne Phaneuf, executive editor of The Republican, said past contributors to the program know firsthand what a difference the donations can make to children during the holiday season.

To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield, 01102. Contributions also may be dropped off with the coupon to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 24.

Toy registration
Here are the times for families to register at Salvation Army sites for the 91st annual Toy for Joy campaign:
Springfield
Greater Springfield Citadel: 170 Pearl St., Springfield; Dec. 2-6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; for info, call (413) 733-1518; serves Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Ludlow, Palmer, Mon´son, Springfield, Ware, West Springfield, Wilbraham 
Greenfield
Greenfield Service Center: 72 Chapman St., Greenfield; Dec. 2-3, 9 a.m.-noon; for info, call 773-3154; serves Hampshire and Franklin counties
Holyoke
Holyoke Citadel: 271 Appleton St., Holyoke; Dec. 9-20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; for info, call (413) 532-6312; serves Holyoke, South Hadley, Granby
Westfield
Westfield Service Center: 12 Arnold St., Westfield; through Dec. 6, weekdays 9 a.m.-noon; for info, call (413) 568-1256; serves Westfield, Southwick, Russell, Chester, Granville and hilltowns
Required documentation
Participants must bring the following documents: Photo ID for head of household; proof of address (within the last 30 days); MassHealth cards or other identifying information for any child age 16 or younger; and birth certificates (or passports) for any child age 16 and younger.

According to the assessor's office, Colonial Pacific Leasing Corp. of Scottsdale, Ariz., bought the 1.09-acre property on Oct. 9 for $1,292,793. The company is a division of GE Capital.

PALMER - The former Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, a long-closed eyesore on North Main Street, has a new owner, according to town manager Charles T. Blanchard.

Blanchard briefed the Town Council recently about the status of the site, after council vice president Barbara A. Barry included it on a list of outstanding issues she discussed at the October Town Council meeting.

According to the assessor's office, Colonial Pacific Leasing Corp., of Scottsdale, Ariz., bought the 1.09-acre property on Oct. 9 for $1,292,793. The company is a division of GE Capital.

"I do have a call in to them to see what their plans are," Blanchard said.

Blanchard said the company hired a cleanup crew to improve the exterior, which is marred by graffiti. Overgrown brush has already been cleared away, and the graffiti will be removed, he said.

"The condition of it will be much better than it was before," Blanchard said. "Clearly it's a big difference because someone is really maintaining it. Just the trees being removed already looks much better."

Springfield Food Systems bought the property - a former Burger King - for $500,000 in 2003, and opened the combination Kentucky Fried Chicken-Long John Silver's fast-food restaurant two years later.

Jesse Lanier, of Springfield Food Systems, closed his seven Springfield-area Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in March 2011 after 27 years as a Kentucky Fried Chicken owner-operator. He gave up his franchise rights in order to settle a lengthy federal lawsuit with corporate parent KFC Brands Inc. The Palmer site was one of the seven.

An auction was held for three of the Springfield properties in August 2011, but Lanier rejected the bids, saying they were not enough for the properties.

The apartments are separated by cement walls, which helped stop the fire from spreading.

 

CHICOPEE -- Firefighters are investigating a fire at the Canterbury Arms apartment building at 165 East Main St. that displaced a tenant and killed her pet cat.

The fire was called in at approximately 1 a.m. Thursday, and firefighters were on scene until 5 a.m., according to Fire Capt. Wayne J. Lemay.

"The apartment was gutted," Lemay said.

The tenant was not hurt, and firefighters evacuated the other residents.

The fire started in a fifth floor apartment, and the cause has not yet been determined. The resident whose apartment was ruined in the fire was moved to another apartment in the building, Lemay said. No other residents were displaced.

There was still a heavy smoke odor in the building, which is part of the Chicopee Housing Authority. A window was open and a fan was being used to help get rid of the smell on the fifth floor. The door to the apartment where the fire ignited was covered in soot.

Lemay said the building's fire alarms were working. The apartments are separated by cement walls, which helped stop the fire from spreading. There was some water damage to the fourth floor, he said.

A tenant who did not want her name used said she was sleeping when she was woken up by people banging on her door. She said she appreciated the work of the firefighters.

The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, state police said.

 

WARE - State police, with assistance from Ware police, are investigating a pedestrian accident that happened Wednesday at about 4:40 p.m. on Palmer Road in front of Walgreens.

State police said that a 2007 Chrysler Town Car, operated by David Maryniski, 63, of Springfield, struck Arthur Padeni, 60, of Gilbertville, as he was in the crosswalk.

Padeni was taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, state police said.

High winds are in the forecast until late afternoon Thursday.

EASTHAMPTON -- High winds took down trees Thanksgiving morning, leaving some Western Massachusetts Electric Co. customers without power here and in other Pioneer Valley communities.

Company spokeswoman Janine Saunders said power was restored to 413 Easthampton customers around 10:15 a.m. The outage was caused by a tree that fell on Line Street.

Fallen trees -- the leading cause of power outages, Saunders said -- also caused blackouts in Deerfield, Greenfield and Leverett.

In Deerfield, crews have been at work since about 6:30 a.m. after a falling tree snapped a utility pole. The outage left 5 customers in that town and 178 in neighboring Greenfield without electricity. Saunders said the estimated restoration time is 12:30 p.m.

By 10:45 a.m., the company's outage map was showing that power had been restored to all but one of the Greenfield customers.

An outage in Leverett was reported just before 10:30 a.m., affecting 27 customers. An estimate for restoration there was not immediately available.

High winds are in the forecast until late afternoon Thursday. "Wind speeds of 15-25 m.p.h. will make it feel like it's in the teens through midday," CBS 3 meteorologist Nick Morganelli writes in his Thanksgiving forecast. "The wind will become less gusty by evening."

 

Both crashes are being investigated by the department's traffic bureau, Delaney said.

This is an update to a story posted at 8:07 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD - Police have identified the victim of the fatal Roosevelt Avenue crash as city resident Allison Dwarska, 17.

Sgt. John Delaney, executive aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet, said that the accident happened at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Isabel Street.

He said the car - a Cadillac Seville - was traveling north at a high rate of speed, and the driver lost control around the curve, crashing into the woods in a ditch on the side of the road. Firefighters were called to the scene to put out a fire that ignited in the car.

Delaney said Dwarska was a passenger, sitting in the back seat. He said she was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The driver of the vehicle, also 17 years of age, is facing possible charges, Delaney said. The driver was not identified.

Delaney said that the driver involved in the other fatal crash has not yet been identified, but is a 23-year-old resident of the city.

That crash happened at 4 a.m. Thursday, near the intersection of Parker Street and Ellendale Circle. The driver was traveling north in a Mini Cooper on Parker Street near Ellendale Circle when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a fire hydrant, Delaney said.

After hitting the fire hydrant, the vehicle skid across the street, eventually rolling on the side of the road. The driver, who was partially thrown from the vehicle and crushed underneath, was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters extricated the driver.

Parker Street was closed in the area of Ellendale Circle in the wake of the crash. The street reopened just before 8 a.m.

Both crashes are being investigated by the department's traffic bureau, Delaney said.

The cheering crowds were bundled against a 30-degree chill, but the sun was shining for the annual parade in New York City.

NEW YORK (AP) — The big balloons soared along with the crowd's spirits Thursday as the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade made its way through the streets of New York City.

There'd been some concerns about whether the wind could keep 16 giant balloons grounded, but the cherished tradition prevailed.

"We thought they'd find a way to pull it off," said parade-goer John Mispagel, of San Jose, Calif. "It's really fun seeing so many people having such a great time."

Balloon handlers were keeping a tight grip on their inflated characters and held them fairly close to the ground in tree-lined areas. The wind was around 26 mph.

Mispagel and his wife, Susan, said Sonic the Hedgehog got caught on a tree while rounding a corner near the start of the parade route; handlers used cutters on a rope to free the balloon.

The cheering throngs were bundled against a 30-degree chill, but the sun was shining. Some in the crowd lifted small children onto their shoulders.

An excited 9-year-old Lily Thomolaris, of Pittsburgh, was delighted to "see all the balloons." But she especially thought a big turkey was really cool.

Matthew Ragbe, 11, lives in the neighborhood and came out to enjoy the sights. His twin brother decided not to leave their warm apartment.

"He's probably watching the parade on TV," Matthew said. "Loser."

"Lazy is more like the operative word," joked their mother, Alison Ragbe.

In Philadelphia, gusty winds of 28 mph limited use of balloons during the city's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with officials citing concern for the safety of participants and spectators. Instead of flying along the entire route, the balloons soared only around Eakins Oval and the broadcast area near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Elsewhere in the country, Thanksgiving traditions were largely unaffected by the weather.

Jim Leyland, former manager of the Detroit Tigers, served as grand marshal of that city's Thanksgiving Day parade, which is billed as the nation's second largest, behind New York's. Revelers braved snow showers and slick roads to attend the festivities, which included about two dozen floats and a performance by singer Ruben Studdard.

In Washington, President Barack Obama and his family paused to celebrate a quiet holiday at the White House. Their menu was quintessential Thanksgiving, including turkey, honey-baked ham, cornbread stuffing, greens and six choices of pie.

In New York City, volunteers from Citymeals-on-Wheels helped escort dozens of elderly residents from neighborhoods affected by Superstorm Sandy to a restaurant feast in Manhattan. The organization funded almost 20,500 Thanksgiving meals, including 13,000 delivered in advance to homebound elderly.

On Wednesday, two American astronauts on board the International Space Station, Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio, released a video from 260 miles above Earth showing off their traditional Thanksgiving meal: irradiated smoked turkey, thermostabilized yams, cornbread dressing, potatoes, freeze-dried asparagus, baked beans, bread, cobbler and dehydrated green bean casserole.

The identities of the victims are not being released at this time.

UPDATE, 11:31 a.m.: The victim of the Roosevelt Avenue crash has been identified as 17-year-old Allison Dwarska. A new story has been posted »

The age of the victim in the Parker Street crash has been corrected in the story below; the victim was 23, police said.

SPRINGFIELD -- Police are investigating two fatal crashes that happened overnight.

The first crash, reported at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday in front of 1780 Roosevelt Ave. near the entrance to Blunt Park, claimed the life of a woman, WWLP reports. The woman's name has not been released.

Firefighters were called because the front of the car was on fire; it was quickly extinguished, said Dennis G. Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The second accident occurred just after 4 a.m. Thursday on Parker Street.

11.28.2013 | SPRINGFIELD -- Parker Street was closed at Ellendale Circle and Oak Hollow Road in the wake of the crash. The road reopened just before 8 a.m.Greg Saulmon | The Republican

Leger said the crash left the car, a MINI Cooper, on its side, pinned against a utility pole and a tree. Firefighters extricated the teenage driver. There were no passengers.

The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was 23, police said.

Spray paint marks left by an accident reconstruction team were visible around a traffic island at Parker Street and Oak Hollow Road, where a fire hydrant was severed. The marks trace the path of the car back across Parker Street, where the vehicle came to rest at the corner of Ellendale Circle.

Parker Street was closed in the area of Ellendale Circle in the wake of the crash. The street reopened just before 8 a.m.

Details about both crashes will be posted as our reporting continues. Below, a map showing the location of each crash.

Springfield accident victim Allison Dwarska, 17, a senior at High School of Science and Technology, was remembered by her aunt as "one of a kind."

The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band performs Thursday at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Photo by John Solem 

These were the most-read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Springfield police investigating two fatal crashes [By Lori Stabile]

2) Springfield accident victim Allison Dwarska remembered as 'one of a kind' [By Lori Stabile]

3) Live chat recap: Thanksgiving Day high school football games [By MassLive staff]

4) UMass Minuteman Marching Band cherishes memories from playing in 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade [By Fred Contrada]

5) Boston Red Sox need more power: How will they replace 64 home runs from last year? [By Jason Mastrodonato]

Photos: A slideshow of the UMass Amherst Minuteman Marching Band playing in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.