A man called 911 and told dispatchers that a 7-year-old girl walked to his home and said she had been involved in a plane crash, officials said.

EDDYVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A 7-year-old girl survived a plane crash that killed four people Friday night, and the disoriented little girl walked away from the wreckage and reported the crash to a local resident, authorities said.

The small Piper PA-34 reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers as it was flying over the southwestern part of Kentucky about 5:55 p.m. CST, the FAA said.

About a half hour later, a Lyon County resident called 911 and told dispatchers that a 7-year-old girl had walked to his home and said she had been involved in a plane crash, said Sgt. Dean Patterson of the Kentucky State Police.

"This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash," Patterson said. "It's a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it's tragic that four others didn't."

The girl was in emotional distress and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Patterson said. At that point, authorities launched a search for the crash site and also confirmed with the FAA that they had received a distress call.

About two hours later, authorities found the crash site in a heavily wooded area near Kentucky lake, a popular tourist attraction in the state. They discovered four bodies, including the pilot and the three passengers.

The FAA said the plane had taken off from Tallahassee Regional Airport, Florida, and was bound for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Patterson said the girl indicted that the plane had left from Key West, Florida.

The identities of the deceased and the survivor were not immediately released. Patterson said he didn't know the girl's relationship to the people on the plane.

He said it had been raining in the area for most of Friday. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Police have yet to publicly discuss a motive for the murder, nor have they indicated if they have any suspects in mind. Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355.

SPRINGFIELD — A small memorial shrine now marks the spot where 18-year-old Shawnki Gladden was killed in Six Corners early Thursday, making him the city and region's first homicide victim of 2015.

Police have not publicly discussed a motive for the fatal shooting, which also injured the teen's father, 39-year-old Rashawn Gladden.

The Gladdens were reportedly walking near the corner of Mill and Knox Streets in Six Corners when they came under fire, possibly from a dark-colored SUV.

The father was shot in the buttocks, while his son was shot in the upper back and later died from his injuries at Baystate Medical Center, according to authorities, who continue to investigate.

According to Springfield police, 18-year-old Shawnki Gladden lived at this four-story brick apartment building on Belmont Avenue in the city's Forest Park neighborhood. He and his father were still several blocks away from their home when they came under fire near the corner of Mill and Knox streets in the Six Corners section. Both men were hit by gunfire. The father survived, but his son succumbed to his injuries later at the hospital, police said. (CONOR BERRY / THE REPUBLICAN) 

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355.

The Gladdens were reportedly walking back to their home at 140 Belmont Ave., a four-story brick apartment building in the city's Forest Park neighborhood, when the incident took place.

Rashawn Gladden could not immediately be reached for comment.

The front door to the apartment building was locked on Friday afternoon, and there was no way to leave a message for him at the building.

There were 14 homicides in Springfield in 2014, a 30 percent decrease from the previous year.

MAP showing approximate location of homicide:

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton drew salutes from some officers Saturday as they were arrived at the wake of a second New York Police Department officer killed in an ambush shooting.

NEW YORK -- Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton drew salutes from some officers Saturday as they were arrived at the wake of a second New York Police Department officer killed in an ambush shooting.

The gesture of respect during the calling hours for Officer Wenjian Liu contrasted with the back-turning insults hundreds of officers displayed last week toward video screens showing the mayor speaking at the funeral of Liu's police partner, Rafael Ramos. It also came after Bratton urged rank-and-file officers to refrain from making political statements at Liu's wake and funeral.

"A hero's funeral is about grieving, not grievance," Bratton said in a memo read to all commands at roll calls Friday and Saturday. "I issue no mandates, and I make no threats of discipline, but I remind you that when you don the uniform of this department, you are bound by the tradition, honor and decency that go with it."

Police union officials, who are negotiating a contract with the city, had accused de Blasio of helping foster an anti-police atmosphere by supporting demonstrations following the chokehold death of an unarmed black man on Staten Island who resisted arrest.

The back-turning at Ramos' funeral mimicked what some police union officials did outside a hospital when the officers were killed two weeks ago.

Liu and Ramos were ambushed in their patrol car on a Brooklyn street by Ismaaiyl Brinsley. Brinsley had made references online to the killings of unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers, vowing to put "wings on pigs."

Investigators say Brinsley was an emotionally disturbed loner who started off his rampage by shooting and wounding an ex-girlfriend in Baltimore. He later killed himself.

The police killings ramped up emotions in the already-tense national debate over police conduct. Since Ramos and Liu were killed, police in New York have investigated at least 70 threats made against officers, and more than a dozen people have been arrested.

Liu's funeral was scheduled for Sunday with a Chinese ceremony led by Buddhist monks to be followed by a traditional police ceremony with eulogies led by a chaplain. Burial will follow at Cypress Hills Cemetery.

The 32-year-old officer had been on the police force for seven years and had gotten married two months before he died. His widow, Pei Xia Chen, spoke tearfully days after the shooting.

Liu's funeral arrangements were delayed so relatives from China could travel to New York.

Uniformed officers from across the country were among the first in line Saturday at Liu's wake. About 20 officers from the Los Angeles Police Department traveled to Brooklyn to pay their respects to the fallen policeman.

"When it happens here, it happens to us," LAPD Officer Hannu Tarjamo said. "It doesn't matter if it happens here, or in LA, or in Louisiana. It's an act of savagery that should be condemned by society."

Luda Kaplan, 67, of Brooklyn, carried a handmade sign with a heart and "NYPD" on it as she stood across the street from the funeral home. She said her son-in-law was an NYPD officer for 20 years.

"When he left every morning at 4:30 a.m., we didn't know if he would come home," she said.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Robert Jennings 

Robert L. Jennings, 88, of Springfield passed away on Sunday. He retired from Baystate Medical Center after 20 years. His survivors include his wife of 69 years, four children and eight grandchildren.

The state fire marshal was called to aid with the investigation.

HADLEY - No one was injured during a basement fire late Friday night at 69 Hockanum Road that caused heavy smoke and left three people in need of temporary lodging.

The three residents were outside the single-story ranch-style house when police and firefighters arrived, Hadley Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel said, in a new release on Saturday. The blaze was reported shortly after 11 p.m.

The state fire marshal was called to help determine the cause of the fire, the release said. There was damage to the wiring in the basement, but the cause of the fire was not listed in the release.

The fire department received mutual aid from the Amherst and South Hadley fire departments, with Sunderland firefighters also assisting.

There was no estimate on the cost of damage to the house.

The incoming Baker administration has tapped a Fields Corner community development director and a former member of the Romney administration for posts within the Office of Housing and Community Development.

The incoming Baker administration has tapped a Fields Corner community development director and a former member of the Romney administration for posts within the Office of Housing and Community Development.

The assistant secretary for business development will be Nam Pham, who is the executive director of for VietAID, which bills itself as the first Vietnamese-American community development corporation. The undersecretary for consumer affairs and business regulations will be John Chapman, a Cape Cod Republican who challenged Congressman William Keating last year.

The two will serve under Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, who said in a statement "their experience in economic development and consumer protection will be crucial to helping the administration better serve the commonwealth."

Chapman was former Gov. Mitt Romney's commissioner of the Department of Industrial Accidents and undersecretary for the Office of Economic Development. Pham was commissioner of the Office of Refugees and Immigrants in the Weld and Cellucci administrations and Baker made frequent reference to Pham's success in the Dorchester neighborhood on the campaign trail.

Chapman, a Chatham resident, will replace Barbara Anthony and Pham will serve in a new role in the executive office, which is part of a "slight restructuring" according to the transition team.

Baker spokesman Tim Buckley said Pham will take a more "proactive" approach to the Massachusetts Office of Business Development.

A 7-year-old girl who survived a plane crash in rural Kentucky had trekked about a mile without shoes in near-freezing temperatures in order to find help, a witness told The Associated Press on Saturday.

KUTTAWA, Ky. -- A 7-year-old girl who survived a plane crash in rural Kentucky had trekked about a mile without shoes in near-freezing temperatures in order to find help, a witness told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Bloodied but free of major injuries, the girl knocked on the door of the first home she found -- that of Larry Wilkins of Kuttawa, Kentucky. He was stunned when he opened the door Friday evening, only to see a young girl bleeding from various injuries and sobbing.

"I come to the door and there's a little girl, 7 years old, bloody nose, bloody arms, bloody legs, one sock, no shoes, crying," Wilkins, 71, told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday. "She told me that her mom and dad were dead, and she had been in a plane crash, and the plane was upside down."

Kentucky State Police Sgt. Dean Patterson said Federal Aviation Administration officials have arrived at the scene to try to determine why the small Piper PA-34 crashed as it flew over rural southwestern Kentucky early Friday evening.

The plane had reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers shortly before the 5:55 p.m. CST crash, authorities said. About a half hour later, 911 dispatchers received a call from Wilkins, who reported that a girl who had been involved in a plane crash had walked to his home.

The girl was treated at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky and released early Saturday, Patterson said.

"This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash," Patterson said. "It's a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it's tragic that four others didn't."

Patterson said the girl was the daughter of the two adults who died in the crash, Marty Gutzler, 48; and his wife, Kimberly Gutzler, 46. Also killed in the crash were the girl's sister, Piper Gutzler, 9; and a cousin, Sierra Wilder, 14. All were from Nashville, Illinois. The bodies have been recovered and sent to Louisville for autopsies.

In Nashville, a man stepped outside the family's white, split-level home on Saturday and politely waved off a reporter.

"Not now," he said, his head lowered, before he stepped back inside.

Neighbors said Marty and Kim Gutzler had lifelong roots in the largely rural southern Illinois town about 50 miles east of St. Louis.

Marty ran the furniture store that his father started, and the couple was well-known and well-liked, said neighbor Carla Povolish.

With two basketball hoops in the driveway, the Gutzlers' home was the center of neighborhood fun on a block full of children.

"All the kids in the neighborhood are just so upset about this," she said.

Povolish said the two sisters -- the crash's lone survivor and the one who perished -- were together constantly.

"That's what's going to be so devastating for the little one," she said.

The FAA said late Friday that the plane had taken off from Tallahassee Regional Airport, Florida, and was bound for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Patterson said the girl who survived indicated that the plane had left from Key West, Florida.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board also were expected to get to the scene later Saturday, Patterson said.

The pastor of a church near the crash site said the area was known for rough terrain and that the conditions Friday were wet due to persistent rain.

"That area is very rough and hilly, very heavily forested with mature trees," said the Rev. Dean Weber of the Chestnut Oak United Methodist Church in Kuttawa. "Any plane crash in that area is going to be a severe ordeal."

Meteorologist Ashley Baylor bid farewell to the viewers of Western Massachusetts on Friday as she signed off from her final broadcast with WWLP 22News from the station's Chicopee studios.

Meteorologist Ashley Baylor bid farewell to the viewers of Western Massachusetts on Friday as she signed off from her final broadcast with WWLP 22News from the station's Chicopee studios.

Baylor, who grew up in Shrewsbury, is heading south and is expected to start with NBC affiliate WAVY-TV in a couple weeks, according to a tweet she posted on Friday. In both 2013 and 2014, Baylor won The Republican/MassLive's Reader Raves poll for the favorite TV meteorologist.

On her Facebook page, fans reached out to thank Baylor for keeping them informed about the weather over the past few years.

"I have watched you do the weather ever since you came to channel 22," one fan wrote. "I will miss you and hope you enjoy your new job in Virginia. Also enjoy less snow!!"

Another added, "You will be sadly missed by so many people! You were always a delight to watch and get the weather updates from... Oh, by the way, any way you could send me an autographed pic?"

Baylor thanked her fans for the outpouring of support she's received as she prepares to embark on the next journey of her professional career.

"I've read every single one of your best wishes and kind words! Thank you so so much everyone!! Many of you have become more than viewers and fans, I consider you my friends!," she wrote on Facebook. "I leave a piece of my heart here with you guys, and I leave a piece of my heart with my best friends, Ashley Kohl, Laura Hutchinson, and Juli McDonald. My Facebook and Twitter pages will stay the same and I will continue to update them frequently! I won't say goodbye..I'll just "see you later"!"

President Barack Obama plans new steps to help more Americans buy a home and attend college, part of a 2015 agenda he hopes can build on the post-election momentum from high-profile moves on immigration and Cuba.

HONOLULU -- President Barack Obama plans new steps to help more Americans buy a home and attend college, part of a 2015 agenda he hopes can build on the post-election momentum from high-profile moves on immigration and Cuba.

His approach for the new year appears to look straight past newly emboldened Republicans who take full control of Congress on Tuesday.

Fresh from a two-week Hawaiian vacation, the president was readying executive actions and legislative proposals to start promoting right away while advisers and speechwriters flesh out the broad themes that Obama wants to emphasis in his State of the Union address on Jan. 20. It will be his seventh since taking office, but his first before a Congress entirely in GOP hands.

In a sign of their divergent paths, Obama was heading out of Washington on Wednesday just as the new Congress was settling in. He plans stops in Michigan, Arizona and Tennessee aimed at highlighting how his own economic policies were contributing to the country's recovery.

Obama, expected back in Washington on Sunday, has appeared energized by the end-of-the-year action on immigration policy and Cuban relations, suggesting continued presidential relevance despite a political landscape dramatically altered by deep Democratic losses on Election Day.

Since the November midterms, the key question has been whether Obama will lean in or away from compromise with Republicans in his final two years. Of the issues the White House said Obama will emphasize in the coming weeks, none was among the few areas that both Democrats and Republicans have cited as ripe for dealmaking -- trade, taxes, public works.

An Obama spokesman, Eric Schultz, said Obama would announces proposals this coming week that focus on helping the middle class benefit from the economic recovery.

"There are a number of issues we could make progress on, but the president is clear that he will not let this Congress undo important protections gained -- particularly in areas of health care, Wall Street reform and the environment," Schultz said.

Obama has threatened to use his veto power to block GOP attacks this year.

In Detroit on Wednesday, Obama plans to cite the return of manufacturing jobs and his decision to bail out the auto industry. In Phoenix the next day, Obama intends to showcase gains in the housing sector since the real estate crash and come out with new steps to help Americans buy a home, the White House said.

On Friday, Vice President Joe Biden will join Obama in Tennessee to discuss new ways to help more people attend college or job-training.

With Obama's prime-time address to the nation less than three weeks away, the White House has reached out to Democratic groups such as the Center for American Progress to solicit input, without making commitments.

Lacking a Democratic majority in the Senate to stop them, GOP lawmakers convening Tuesday intend to start chipping away on health care, immigration and the environment, flashing their power as Obama enters the last years of his presidency and the 2016 race starts to unfold.

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., said the House would start right away with jobs bills that have won the support of both parties before but never advanced in the Senate.

"If the president is willing to work with us, we'll have a real chance to address our nation's most pressing challenges," he said in the weekly Republican address.

During his vacation with his wife and daughters, Obama spent long afternoons on the beach with his girls and golfed nearly every day with friends. The visit to his birthplace is a yearly tradition for the Obamas.

Former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke, who served the Bay State from 1967-1979, has died at the age of 95.

BOSTON — Former U.S. Sen. Edward W. Brooke, who served the Bay State from 1967-1979, has died at the age of 95.

Brooke made history when he became the first African American attorney general of any state by winning an election in 1962, and a subsequent re-election. Then in 1966 he became the first black man elected to the U.S. Senate by way of popular vote.

A liberal Republican, and one of just two black U.S. senators elected to serve in the 20th Century, Brooke grew up in Washington and later served in the segregated U.S. Army in World War II before making his way to Massachusetts. In the Bay State, Brooke forged a successful legal and political career.

Brooke's cause of death wasn't immediately clear, but early reports indicate he passed away at his home in Coral Gables, Florida. Upon hearing of Brooke's death, the Bay State's incoming Governor Charlie Baker offered his praise and condolences.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Senator Edward W. Brooke as we lost a truly remarkable public servant. A war hero, a champion of equal rights for all, and an example that barriers can be broken, Senator Brooke accomplished more than most aspire to," Baker said in a statement. "Our party, commonwealth and nation are better for his service. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the Senator as we pause to remember an exceptional man."

Outgoing Gov. Deval Patrick, the first African-American to serve as governor of Massachusetts, said that with the passing of Brooke, he "lost a friend and mentor."

"Massachusetts has a history of sending giants to the US Senate, great statesmen like Quincy Adams, Webster, Cabot Lodge and Kennedy. We count Ed Brooke among them. He carried the added honor and burden of being 'the first’ and did so with distinction and grace," Patrick said in a statement. "America has lost a superb example of selfless service. Diane and I extend our deepest condolences to the Brooke family."

Kirsten Hughes, the chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, also reflected on the passing of Brooke.

"As we mourn the loss of Senator Edward W. Brooke, we reflect on his multitude of accomplishments and his extraordinary service to both our Commonwealth and our nation. Any one of his single accomplishments would be remarkable, and yet Senator Brooke could lay claim to so many milestones," Hughes said in a statement. "A decorated war hero, this Massachusetts Republican was a highly respected legislator responsible for shaping our nation's laws and ensuring equal rights for all men and women. The Massachusetts Republican Party is proud to have had Senator Brooke as one of our party's leaders, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family."

According to the Washington Post, Brooke is survived by his wife Anne Fleming Brooke; Remi Goldstone and Edwina Petit, daughters from his first marriage; a son, Edward W. Brooke IV; a stepdaughter, Melanie Laflamme; and four grandchildren.

Authorities are investigating after a body was found inside a burning motor home in the small town of Eden on Saturday morning.

EDEN, Vermont — Authorities are investigating after a body was found inside a burning motor home in the small town of Eden on Saturday morning.

According to Vermont State Police, around 4:30 a.m. a passerby called 911 to report the fire at 1390 East Hill Road in Eden and the North Hyde Park Fire Department was dispatched to the scene. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the motor home was fully engulfed, according to police.

Troopers say that the motor home was parked approximately 250 yards from the driveway, which was unplowed, causing the fire crews to hike hoses to the scene by hand. When the fire was extinguished, one victim was found inside.

Troopers say initial evidence leads them to believe the fire was not suspicious in nature, but a full investigation is ongoing and the identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of the family. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Vermont State Police Barracks in Williston at (802) 878-7111.

Bleeding and alone, 7-year-old Sailor Gutzler had just survived a plane crash that killed her family.

KUTTAWA, Ky. -- Bleeding and alone, 7-year-old Sailor Gutzler had just survived a plane crash that killed her family. She walked through about a mile of woods and thick briar patches, wearing only a short-sleeve shirt, shorts and no shoes in near-freezing temperatures when she saw a light in the distance.

The beacon led her to Larry Wilkins' home, police said, and she knocked on the door. Wilkins answered to find a thin, black-haired girl, whimpering and trembling.

"I come to the door and there's a little girl, 7 years old, bloody nose, bloody arms, bloody legs, one sock, no shoes, crying," Wilkins, 71, told The Associated Press on Saturday. "She told me that her mom and dad were dead, and she had been in a plane crash, and the plane was upside down."

Federal Aviation Administration officials arrived at the crash scene Saturday to try to determine why the small Piper PA-34 crashed on Friday evening, killing four people, including the girl's parents, Marty Gutzler, 48, and his wife, Kimberly Gutzler, 46, authorities said.

Also killed were Sailor's sister Piper Gutzler, 9; and cousin Sierra Wilder, 14. All were from Nashville, Illinois. The bodies have been sent to Louisville for autopsies.

The plane reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers shortly before the 5:55 p.m. CST crash, authorities said. Controllers tried to direct the pilot to an airport 5 to 7 miles from the crash scene, authorities said.

About 40 minutes later, 911 dispatchers received a call from Wilkins, who reported that a girl who had been involved in a plane crash had walked to his home.

Wilkins told the AP he brought the girl inside, got a washcloth and "washed her little face off and her legs."

"Brave little girl, outstanding little girl," he said. "I feel real bad for her."

The girl had a broken wrist, but was coherent and calm when interviewed by authorities, Kentucky State Police Sgt. Brent White said.

White and Wilkins both described the terrain she walked through as heavily wooded with thick brush. White said the girl traversed two embankments, a hill and a creek bed. Wilkins said the temperatures were below 40 degrees when the girl showed up at his door.

"She literally fell out of the sky into a dark hole and didn't have anybody but her own will to live and get help for her family," White said. "Absolutely amazing."

The girl was treated at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky, and released early Saturday to a relative, Kentucky State Police said.

In Nashville, a man stepped outside the family's white, split-level home on Saturday and politely waved off a reporter.

"Not now," he said, his head lowered, before he stepped back inside.

Neighbors said Marty and Kim Gutzler had lifelong roots in the largely rural southern Illinois town about 50 miles east of St. Louis.

Marty ran the furniture store that his father started, and the couple was well-known and well-liked, said neighbor Carla Povolish.

With two basketball hoops in the driveway, the Gutzlers' home was the center of neighborhood fun on a block full of children.

"All the kids in the neighborhood are just so upset about this," she said.

Povolish said the two sisters -- Sailor and Piper -- were together constantly.

"That's what's going to be so devastating for the little one," she said.

The FAA said late Friday that the plane had taken off from Tallahassee Regional Airport, Florida, and was bound for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Patterson said the girl who survived indicated that the plane had left from Key West, Florida.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board also were expected to get to the scene later Saturday, Patterson said. The search was being hampered by bad weather, he said.

Attorney Kent Plotner, who was serving as family spokesman, said the Gutzler family was devastated by the loss.

"We ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. Please pray for us, especially for Sailor Gutzler," the family said in a statement.

The breakthrough in the hunt for the Airbus A320 came after sonar equipment aboard search ships detected four massive objects on the ocean floor.

PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia -- With the weather improving, divers prepared Sunday to examine wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 in hopes of retrieving the rest of the bodies and finding clues to what caused the plane to crash in stormy weather a week ago.

The breakthrough in the hunt for the Airbus A320 came after sonar equipment aboard search ships detected four massive objects on the ocean floor in the Java Sea, and Indonesian officials said they were confident they belong to the plane.

The biggest piece, measuring 18 meters (59 feet) long and 5.4 meters (18 feet) wide, appeared to be part of the jet's body, said Henry Bambang Soelistyo, chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Strong currents and big waves that had prevented divers from entering waters eased on Sunday. About 90 divers from Indonesia and Russia were being deployed to recover more bodies that officials believe are still strapped in their seats, said National Searh and Rescue deputy chief Tatang Zainudin.

"We hope lower waves will give us a better result today," Zainudin said. "We are racing with time and weather in running this mission."

There were 162 people aboard the plane, but after a week of searching, only 30 bodies have been found floating in the choppy waters.

KTUU reported the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary and third-degree felony in possession of a weapon.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A man nicknamed "Eyeball" because of a tattoo that darkened the white part of his right eye pleaded guilty to shooting an Anchorage police officer.

Jason Barnum was sentenced to 22 years in prison Friday in Anchorage Superior Court.

KTUU reported the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary and third-degree felony in possession of a weapon.

The shooting happened when police were investigating home burglaries and car thefts. Officers were inspecting a hotel in 2012 when Barnum opened fire from a bathroom. Two officers shot back, striking Barnum in the arm, and one officer was injured. Barnum later admitted to the committing thefts and burglaries to feed a heroin addiction.

In court, Anchorage Police Department Chief Mark Mew took the stand to argue for a harsh sentence. "I think Jason Barnum decided a long time ago that his life was about being hostile to people," Mew said.

Tattoos of skulls cover Barnum's head, which didn't go unnoticed in court.

"I'd like you to take a look at Mr. Barnum," Mew said. "He has the right to do this to himself and to express himself. We can't sentence him for that, but I think we can consider a guy's attitude and his behavior."

But when Barnum took the stand, he was reflective about what happened.

"I'm humbled by what the chief said. I was out there pretty much running crazy," Barnum told the court. "Everybody knows that I'm not the nicest guy. I understand that what I did was wrong. I can't take none of it back."

In explaining his behavior, Barnum deflected some blame to the Alaska Department of Corrections, saying he left prison in 2010 with nowhere to go and nothing to do. "I was living on the streets, and I tried to get a job, but of course my beautiful face didn't allow me to do that," he said.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Jack Smith said the blame falls on Barnum, whether the system failed, the drugs made him act erratically, or anything else. However, he said the sentence this time includes parole and will likely provide more assistance when he is released and in his mid-fifties.

"It's going to be difficult, but hopefully it'll be easier than the last time," Smith said.

Barnum already served two years of his sentence.

As news of the passing of former U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke spread throughout the country on Saturday, notable elected officials began offering their praise for Brooke's legacy and condolences to his family as they mourn.

As news of the passing of former U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke spread throughout the country on Saturday, notable elected officials began offering their praise for Brooke's legacy and condolences to his family as they mourn.

Brooke, the first black person to be elected to the U.S. Senate, was a liberal Massachusetts Republican who represented the Bay State in Washington from 1967 to 1979. He died at the age of 95 at his home in Florida.

Below are the statements from politicians, unedited, as they reflected on the passing of Brooke.

President Barack Obama:

"Michelle and I were saddened to learn of the passing of former Senator Edward Brooke. Senator Brooke led an extraordinary life of public service, including his time in the U.S. Army. As the first African-American elected as a state's Attorney General and first African-American U.S. Senator elected after reconstruction, Ed Brooke stood at the forefront of the battle for civil rights and economic fairness. During his time in elected office, he sought to build consensus and understanding across partisan lines, always working towards practical solutions to our nation's challenges. We express our deepest sympathies to his wife Anne, children Remi, Edwina, Edward, stepdaughter Melanie, family, friends and the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey:

"Today, we have lost a patriot and a pioneer in the passing of Senator Edward W. Brooke. He was a brilliant politician at an extraordinary moment - a Republican in a Democratic state, a liberal Republican in a Nixon administration. He was a champion for equality and communities of color at the dawn of a new era of American civil rights. He will go down as one of the greatest Senators who ever represented the Commonwealth. I greatly enjoyed my many discussions with Ed during the time he was a Senator and I served in the House of Representatives. I admired him, and I believe he was a truly great man. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, and all whose lives he touched."

Secretary of State John Kerry:

"When I came to the Senate, I was humbled to walk in the footsteps of remarkable public servants like the man who preceded me, Paul Tsongas, and the man who preceded Paul, the trailblazing Ed Brooke. This strong public servant with a deep voice and a big laugh defined the term gentleman, and he gave life to the words "public servant.

"Whether in the Army Infantry during World War II, where he was awarded the Bronze Star fighting fascism; or as state Attorney General, battling corruption; or, finally, as a United States Senator, helping to pass landmark civil rights legislation and pushing for affordable housing, Ed Brooke gave to his country every day of his life. He also showed remarkable political courage when he introduced legislation to name a special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal, and became the first Senator in either party to call for President Nixon's resignation.

"Ed carried that courage even after he left office, stepping back into the public spotlight to bravely puncture social stigma and disclose he had breast cancer, a warning for his fellow men that saved lives. Teresa and I offer our prayers and comfort to Anne, his daughters, Remi and Edwina, and the son who assuredly carries on his name in pride, Edward IV."

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick:

"Massachusetts has a history of sending giants to the US Senate, great statesmen like Quincy Adams, Webster, Cabot Lodge and Kennedy. We count Ed Brooke among them. He carried the added honor and burden of being 'the first’ and did so with distinction and grace. I lost a friend and a mentor. America has lost a superb example of selfless service. Diane and I extend our deepest condolences to the Brooke family."

Mass. Governor-elect Charlie Baker:

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Senator Edward W. Brooke as we lost a truly remarkable public servant. A war hero, a champion of equal rights for all, and an example that barriers can be broken, Senator Brooke accomplished more than most aspire to," Baker said in a statement. "Our party, commonwealth and nation are better for his service. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the Senator as we pause to remember an exceptional man."

Mass. Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo:

"Senator Brooke was a pioneer in American political life as well as an important symbol for our state during a troubled time. A combat veteran of World War II, he was a patriot and fought at home for a better nation in the years that followed. A committed statesman, his moderation could serve as a model for Washington today. On behalf of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, I extend my condolences to his family."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh:

"Today the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts mourn together a great American in U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke. He dedicated his life to this nation, and we all share a deep pride in his distinguished, historic career in public service as a soldier, Attorney General, and one of the most highly respected, path-breaking members of the Senate. Many of his beginnings were in Boston. Graduating from Boston University Law School, serving on the Boston Finance Commission, and starting his legal practice in the neighborhood of Roxbury—he was one of our own. His progressive ideals aligned with what Boston and Massachusetts hope for in a leader: empowering those who did not have a voice.

"A fighter for equal opportunity and a bridge builder between opposing parties, Senator Brooke embraced optimism and change, constantly seeking ways to lift people up and bring people together. We will forever be grateful for his venerable leadership. Our prayers are with the his family and friends, and all who loved him."

Mass. GOP Chair Kirsten Hughes:

"As we mourn the loss of Senator Edward W. Brooke, we reflect on his multitude of accomplishments and his extraordinary service to both our Commonwealth and our nation. Any one of his single accomplishments would be remarkable, and yet Senator Brooke could lay claim to so many milestones. A decorated war hero, this Massachusetts Republican was a highly respected legislator responsible for shaping our nation's laws and ensuring equal rights for all men and women. The Massachusetts Republican Party is proud to have had Senator Brooke as one of our party's leaders, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family."

This Oct. 28, 2009, file photo shows President Barack Obama greeting former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke in the Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington, during a ceremony where Brooke received the Congressional Gold Medal. Brooke, the first black to win popular election to the Senate, has died. He was 95. Ralph Neas, a former aide, said Brooke died Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, of natural causes at his Coral Gables, Fla, home. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)Robert Rizzuto | rrizzuto@repub.com

Snow,sleet and freezing rain hs made for sloppy driving on the state's highways.

Don Treeger | The Republican 

The combination of precipitation has made road surfaces slush-covered and slippery, troopers say.

Trooper Paul Aten, attached to the Springfield barracks, said he has counted more than 25 separate accidents on I-91 and 291 as the day progressed.

"We were seeing mostly spin outs and fender bender type accidents," he said. "They were mostly minor incidents with no injuries."

Troopers assigned to the Mass Pike report much the same. Sgt. David Douthwright at the Westfield barracks said some 40 spin out accidents have been reported on the western stretch of the Pike into the hilltowns and through the Berkshires.

"We have the speed down to 40 miles per hour," Douthwright said. "We have had a fair amount of accidents, about 40 or so up Blandford Mountain and west, but there have been no major injuries reported."

Douthwright said he received a report of a jack-knifed tractor trailer in the westbound lane of the Pike on Blandford Mountain shortly after 10 p.m., but said traffic was flowing past it.

On the northern stretches of I-91 deeper slush is slowing traffic. Reports from the Northampton barracks indicate approximately 45 separate accidents were reported, none with serious injuries.

Sgt. Christopher Ware at the Shelburne Falls barracks said numerous sliding accidents have been reported on I-91 up to the Massachusetts-Vermont state line.

One man was injured, two men arrested after a sale of a gaming system went bad.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Lt. David Founier said the unidentified victim brought the system to an apartment building at the intersection of Main and Cabot streets shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, planning on selling the item after negotiating the sale over the internet sales site.

Fournier said when the victim arrived he was met by two men, one of whom showed a knife. The suspects assaulted the would-be seller and took the gaming system, but the victim was not seriously injured in the theft.

The two suspects fled with the game system, but were arrested later in the evening after an investigation. They will be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Monday.

As the snowfall began and continued throughout Western Massachusetts Saturday afternoon, the police scanners were buzzing with reports of minor accidents from across the Pioneer Valley.

SPRINGFIELD — As the snowfall began and continued throughout Western Massachusetts Saturday afternoon, the police scanners were buzzing with reports of minor accidents from across the Pioneer Valley.

A winter storm warning is currently in effect for Franklin County and the western parts of Hampshire and Hampden counties and while the greater Springfield area is expected to see an accumulation of just 1-3 inches, that is all it takes for road surfaces to become slippery. Snowfall totals in the hilltowns and higher elevations in the region, however, could be as much as 3-6 inches, according to meteorologist Mike Skurko of CBS 3 Springfield.

"Snow will be steady through 8 p.m., then a transition to sleet and freezing rain will start occurring," Skurko wrote in his most recent forecast. "While the snow is not a blockbuster amount, the ice expected with the freezing rain tonight may be substantial in some spots. Travel is not advised tonight. Power outages due to ice are expected."

A snow plow operator stops to talk with a shopper at the Big Y Plaza on University Drive during Saturday evening's winter storm. (DAVE ROBACK / THE REPUBLICAN)dave roback 

If you are driving, it is recommended you allow extra time to reach your destination and drive slowly as stopping distance can greatly increase with an even slightly slippery surface.

The Massachusetts State Police lowered the speed limit on the Mass. Pike to just 40 miles per hour from the New York border to Millbury for the time being.

Some cities and towns have already issued parking bans in anticipation of the need to have DPW crews on the streets keeping them clear and treated.

Easthampton has a parking ban in effect until 8 a.m. Sunday when all precipitation is expected to rain. Northampton also issued a parking ban, the details of which are explained on the city's website. As additional municipalities issue parking bans, The Republican/ MassLive will work to update this post and keep you informed.

If you have photos of the weather or accidents from around the region, share them with us by sending via email to online@repub.com or tweet them at @Masslivenews.

A look at the most read stories on MassLive for Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015.

Rosenberg is a liberal progressive and strong advocate for higher education. Colleagues say he brings a collaborative style to politics.

BOSTON - For years, Massachusetts nurses and hospitals clashed over a bill to establish safe staffing ratios. Last year, the nurses gained enough support to get a question on the November ballot, if the legislature did not act.

State Sen. Stan Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, was the Senate majority leader. "Stan got the parties in a room and hammered out a compromise that we voted on last year unanimously," recalled state Sen. Don Humason, a Westfield Republican. "I was impressed by the fact that he was able to get to the bottom of it, when it had been something the legislature hadn't been able to resolve for years."

Rosenberg is poised to become the next state Senate president. Rosenberg is a liberal progressive. Colleagues say he brings a collaborative style to politics.

Rosenberg will be the first state Senate president from Western Massachusetts since Maurice Donahue, who served from 1964 to 1971. He will be the first openly gay or Jewish president. Rosenberg grew up in foster care, then dedicated his life to politics. Rosenberg already faced personal troubles in the job, when his partner Bryon Hefner quit his job at a public relations firm after news reports indicated that Hefner bragged about his access to Rosenberg.

Rosenberg, 65, grew up with a foster family. The experience, he said, gave him appreciation for the generosity of others and the role of the state and set him on a path toward public service.

"You really are the responsibility of the state, so that means the generosity of other people basically keeps you, puts a roof over your head, puts food in your mouth, clothes on your back," Rosenberg said. "Over time, you develop appreciation and recognition of the fact it was the generosity of others that allowed you to survive and grow."

Rosenberg moved to Amherst to attend the University of Massachusetts. He started in politics in 1980 as an aide to then-state Sen. John Olver, who would later become a Congressman.

Rosenberg sees Olver as a political role model, praising him as "a workhorse not a show horse" and a visionary who developed statewide bike paths, created a program to preserve agricultural land and helped expand passenger rail in Western Massachusetts.

Rosenberg would continue in politics as executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and an aide to U.S. Rep. Chester Atkins, a Massachusetts Democrat. He was elected to the State House in 1986 and the state Senate in 1991. Rosenberg has served in leadership positions including chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, majority leader and president pro tempore. He lost a bid to become state Senate president in 2003. Now, he appears to have won enough support from the Democratic caucus to succeed outgoing president Therese Murray in 2015.

Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the non-profit Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus who has also lobbied for a teachers' union and a tax policy group, said since the 1980s, Rosenberg has been a "stalwart progressive." He has supported education, spending to help the poor, abortion rights and social justice. He was a leader on gay rights long before the fight for gay marriage – supporting a bill in the 1980s making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation, opposing bills to ban gay people from adopting children, supporting bills in the 1990s on hate crimes and establishing domestic partnership rights.

"That took guts," Isaacson said. "I know a lot of legislators who were gay who voted against the gay community because they lived in such fear that voting with us would implicate their sexuality."

Rosenberg came out as gay in 2009, five years after he helped lead the fight for gay marriage.

"You get there when you get there," Rosenberg said. "Some people never do. Happily, I did....It didn't turn out to be nearly as hard as I thought it would be."

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Rosenberg credited Hefner, 27, with convincing him to be open about his sexuality.

Hefner recently quit a job at Regan Communications when the firm transferred him to Florida, after the Globe reported that Hefner had mocked Murray on Twitter and bragged about his influence in the Senate.

A Rosenberg aide instructed a reporter from The Republican/MassLive.com that Rosenberg would not answer questions about Hefner. Asked what Hefner will do next, Rosenberg said he is a "private citizen."

Rosenberg's ascension puts in a position of power a longtime advocate for the University of Massachusetts, whose flagship campus is in Rosenberg's district. Rosenberg has also supported Western Massachusetts more generally. He has pushed for money for cultural facilities, which are important to tourism in the Berkshires.

Outgoing state Sen. Gale Candaras, a Wilbraham Democrat, recalled working with Rosenberg to fight for a casino license for Western Massachusetts when the state's gambling bill was debated. He also worked to secure $10 million to redevelop the Belchertown State School.

"He's focused on making sure Western Massachusetts has strong representation in the Senate," Candaras said.

State Rep. Stephen Kulik, a Worthington Democrat, said the Western Massachusetts delegation has traditionally worked well together since it is small. (Rosenberg points out that there are more legislators who represent part of Boston than all four western counties.) "Stan's always been a terrific team player and a leader," Kulik said.

Kulik said while he knows Rosenberg will take a statewide perspective, the home territories of Senate presidents and House speakers "definitely benefit from increased attention."

Matt Fenlon, executive director of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, called Rosenberg a "consensus builder" who has "a track record of listening to the members." Fenlon pointed to Rosenberg's work leading a redistricting committee after the 2010 census, when Massachusetts was losing a congressional seat but all the members of Congress planned to run again. (Olver and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank would later decide to retire.)

"When the final maps were released, they were held in high regard, and I think Sen. Rosenberg was obviously the architect of the process," Fenlon said. "Across the country, there were court cases about redistricting, but there were no issues here in Massachusetts."

Candaras said she anticipates that Rosenberg will "empower the members and committee chairs." She predicted there will be more opportunities for members to bring bills to the floor and debate them in committee or on the Senate floor. Now, these discussions often happen privately.

"He's not the kind of person who feels he has to substitute his judgment for everyone else's in the chamber," Candaras said.

Western Massachusetts Republicans say Rosenberg can work with them. Former state representative and retired District Court Judge Robert Howarth served in the legislature with Rosenberg. "We were on opposite ends of the spectrum, no question about that," Howarth said. But he said Rosenberg is respected by lawmakers, and predicted that Rosenberg will be able to work with incoming Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. "They're both amicable people," Howarth said. "They're not obnoxious. They're both gentlemen."

Humason said he knows he will disagree with Rosenberg on policy. But he does not see Rosenberg as a Democrat who will "try to blow the budget up." "We live in a budgetary reality, there's only so much money to spend," Humason said. "All of us try to think of ways to spend that limited resources wisely to get the most bang for the buck. He is regulated as much by the fiscal reality of the state as any of us are."