A rooftop caught fire in downtown Springfield on Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD - A building rooftop caught fire in downtown Springfield on Saturday night, after an HVAC unit attached the top of the building burst into flames, said Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Police Department. 

Firefighters were called to 101 State Street around 7:30 p.m., Leger said. 

Leger said no injuries were reported as a result of the fire, but the building sustained around $25,000 in damages. 

The exact cause of the fire is under investigation. 

A holiday spirit was in the air as shoppers streamed into the Better Living Center

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Hundreds of shoppers looking to get a start on their holiday gift buying streamed into The Big E's Better Living Center on Saturday.

That's where they found a wide selection of handmade items at the 30th annual Old Deerfield Holiday Sampler Craft Fair. The two-day event features more than 230 juried artisan crafters, designers and artists - and 70 new crafters - who display and sell crafts of fine and functional art.

Shoppers browsed through a variety of media, including ceramics, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture, fiber, photography, fashion, woodworking, glass, leather, fine art and more.

Also featured were food and live music, and activities for children included a visit from Santa. Kids also got to explore a Western Massachusetts miniature village, circa 1897, preparing for the country holiday celebrations.

The craft fair continues on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, and free for children age 12 and under.

For more information, visit www.deerfield-craft.org.

Members of the Springfield Public High Schools Sports Hall of Fame Committee held the 2017 Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony at Springfield Central High School Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD - Members of the Springfield Public High Schools Sports Hall of Fame Committee held the 2017 Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony at Springfield Central High School Saturday where 30 athletes, four teams and three contributors were inducted in front of nearly 300 visitors. The ceremony took place in the school gymnasium with a catered buffet from Sodexo.

Classical/Central High School inductees included: * Maurice Blake 1987 * Devrone Vasser 1987 * Christian Jachym 1990 * Fred Smith 1993 * Shawn Smith * Curtis Upshaw 1998 * Greg Devine 1999 * Jamie Mackie 2005 * Necole Evans 2006 * Jose Cabrera 2007 * Mike Smith 2007

Commerce High School inductees included: * Robert "Rabbi" Ryan 1962 * Don Heyliger 1957 * Bob Simpson 1957 * Alberto "Chino" Hernandez 1996 * Daisy Cruz 2004 * Solomon Baymon 2006 * Dr. Marc Gomez 2006 * Jenson Cruz 2007 * Justin Braica 2007

Trade/Putnam High School inductees included: * Jose Delgado 1999 * Gilberto Diaz 2005 *Jayson Abrew 2006

Technical High School inductees included: * Elvin Eady 1950 * Michael Cooley 1963 * Andrew Keating 1984 * Isaac Caraballo 1985 * Curtis Nelson 1986

Science & Technology High School inductees included: Thomas Allen Oakley 2006 * Michael Allen Oakley 2007

Contributors inductees included: * Thomas Shea * Keith Xavier Worthy Sr. * Dr. Thaddeus Tokarz

Hall of Fame teams: * Classical Wrestling 1983 * Central Basketball 1991 * Central Football 1993 * Putnam Football 2007

The Hall of Fame Committee members were, Garry Brown, Gary Mindell, Henry Figueredo, Dennis Fenton, Sean Kavanagh, Dennis Lawlor, Dan McLaughlin, Lavar Click, Louis Malvezzi, Michael Martin and Tad Tokarz. 

This year, Toy for Joy will ensure each child who benefits will receive at least one new book.

When children across Western Massachusetts tear open their presents on Christmas morning, they will find new books among the gifts they receive from Toy for Joy.

A collaborative effort by the Salvation Army, The Republican and MassLive, Toy for Joy has continued to grow over the years and works with donors to make sure needy children in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties have toys and gifts each holiday season.

This year, Toy for Joy, now in its 95th year, is partnering with the Reading Success by 4th Grade program of the Irene & George Davis Foundation to highlight and celebrate family literacy as part of the effort.

"What we know is that reading aloud is the single most important thing a parent can do to prepare their child for school success," said Sally Fuller, project director for Reading Success by 4^th Grade program.

"We are pleased to partner with the Reading Success by 4^th Grade this year to make literacy a key component of the 95^th Toy for Joy campaign," said Cynthia G. Simison, managing editor of The Republican, who oversees Toy for Joy for the newspaper.  "This summer, we gathered a cross-section of nonprofit agencies from across the Pioneer Valley in hopes of working together to ensure this and other gift-giving programs focus on family literacy."

Simison said every child who benefits from Toy for Joy will now get at least one book to share with their families.

"We at The Republican and MassLive are united with the Salvation Army and all of our community partners to help children stay in school, become proficient in reading, advance their educations and ultimately join the Western Massachusetts workforce and sustain themselves and the next generation of families," she said.

Already, as a result of a summer "toy summit" with other non-profit agencies, Link to Libraries stepped forward to donate $2,000 worth of children's books to Toy for Joy this year. The campaign is seeking to raise $150,000 by Christmas eve with more than 20,000 children expected to benefit from the effort.

"We are hopeful our donors will recognize the importance of this effort," said Simison. "Together, we can work towards eliminating barriers faced by children from low-income families, one book at a time, thousands of books each holiday season."

Fuller said that for many children receiving a new book of their very own is just as special as getting a toy.

"What we know is that when parents or family members pull a child onto their lap and read together, it also makes memories.  Children love to have books of their very own and the wonderful experience of reading them over and over again with someone in their family. Those books and memories last far beyond the holiday season," she said.

For the second year in a row, Pride Stores is partnering with Toy for Joy. Pride locations in Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut will rally its customers to helpl contribute to Toy for Joy.

"We have incredibly generous customers, and we thought we would offer them an opportunity to donate," said Robert Bolduc, CEO of Pride gas stations and stores.

Beginning in December customers can go into any Pride in the area and purchase a $1, $5, $10 donation card for Toy for Joy.

"We will collect the money for two weeks leading up to Christmas and, hopefully, that will help Toy for Joy meet its goal," he said. "It's a great cause and it benefits children in the community, so we wanted to be a part of it."

Two years ago, MassLive initiated an online donation option for donors, adding convenience to contributing to the cause.

Whether donating at a Pride station, online, through the mail or in person, Maj. Norma Moore, of the Salvation Army Springfield citadel, is confident the community will step up to make this Christmas great for thousands of children in need.

"We are hopeful that we will reach our goal of $150,000 as we begin to partner with new businesses and agencies across Western Massachusetts," she said. "As toy prices continue to rise, so does our need for continued donations from the generous readers of The Republican and MassLive. We cannot thank the community enough for its ongoing support of this much needed program."

Danielle LaTaille, social services director for the Salvation Army, said the books add a fun, new element to gift giving this year.

"We are excited about our new literacy component in which all children between the ages of 0 and 16 will receive a book. The books chosen are fun and interactive, making learning to read exciting for our younger clients," she said. "Early literacy skills have proven to be a precursor for long-term educational success and the Salvation Army is happy to have a part in increasing community access to learning."

Registration for families to receive gifts for their children is already in progress for children in Franklin County communities at the Greenfield Salvation Army, while Salvation Army units in both Springfield and Holyoke will open registration next week.

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. 23.

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Work will be done on Baystate Road, Center Street, South Street and Clarendon Avenue.

CHICOPEE - The city is continuing work to separate combined sewers and storm pipes and install new water mains through the end of November.

Motorists are asked to avoid areas where construction is happening and expect delays if they cannot. Some roads may be closed and traffic detoured due to the construction.

The schedule can change due to weather and other factors.

The projects this week are as follows. Work will not happen on Thanksgiving or on Friday.

Bay State Road: Sewer services will be installed Monday through Wednesday. The drain main will be installed between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1.

Center Street: Water main structures will be installed at Hampden and South Streets Sunday through Tuesday. The work will be done at night.

Clarendon Avenue: Trees will be removed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Park Street: Sewer services and drain mains will be installed between Monday and Dec. 1.

South Street: Water services will be installed from Nov. 27 through Dec. 1. The water main will be tied in at Springfield Street on Nov. 30.

There are two accidents on Interstate-91 North in Longmeadow and Chicopee.

Update: All three accidents are cleared now. Masslive will update when more information is available.

SPRINGFIELD - State Police are responding to three different accidents, including two which have happened on Interstate 91 northbound.

The Sunday morning crashes are on Interstate-91 near the Longmeadow curve, Interstate-91 north between exits 12 and 13 near the Chicopee curve and on the South End Bridge, Massachusetts State Police officials said.

The accident on the Chicopee curve involved at least two cars, one of which spun around and is blocking two lanes of traffic. That accident happened shortly before 9:30 a.m.

It is not known if anyone was injured in any of the crashes. Information about the three is limited at this time.

The accidents are causing traffic backups. Motorists are recommended to avoid the areas where the three crashes happened.

Surveillance video captured the moment a car smashed through a Massachusetts convenience store Friday night, but thankfully no one was hurt. Watch video

Surveillance video captured the moment a car smashed through a Massachusetts convenience store Friday night, but thankfully no one was hurt. 

No customers were inside the Dracut Center Convenience Friday night and the owner's nephew was unharmed as he worked inside the store, according to the Lowell Sun. The store was still being repaired over the weekend. 

The Lowell Sun reports the driver was not impaired and police are issuing a complaint for driving as to endanger and negligent driving.

The fire started at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a four-unit apartment building at 124 Pine St.

CHICOPEE - An overnight fire displaced four families and destroyed at least one unit in a multi-family apartment building Saturday.

The fire started at about 9:30 p.m. on 124 Pine St., which has two apartments on the first floor and two units on the second, Fire Capt. Douglas Sanford said.

The fire started in the first floor right apartment, which was destroyed. It spread to the second floor right apartment and the attic, which were also damaged but not as severely, he said.

The apartments of the left side received smoke damage, he said.

There were no injuries in the fire. Firefighters were at the scene most of the night and Sunday morning. The building has now been turned over to the homeowner, Sanford said.

It was not immediately known how many people lived in the four apartments.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation, Sanford said.

The victim, who was stabbed multiple times, is known to police.

SPRINGFIELD - One person was stabbed multiple times Saturday night in the Bay neighborhood.

The stabbing happened at about 9:15 p.m. on Lionel Benoit Road. The victim was brought to the hospital by ambulance, Springfield Police spokesman Ryan Walsh said.

The victim is expected to survive, Walsh said.

Police are continuing to investigate the crime, he said.

The stabbing is not believed to be random and the victim is known to police, Walsh said.

Eversource and National Grid are reporting outages across the state from Becket to Westport.

Scattered power outages are being reported following the Saturday night and Sunday morning rain storm that brought high winds to the state.

The worst of the outages are in the Berkshires and northern Franklin County but there are a variety of small outages across the state, power company officials are reporting.

Power companies are working to repair electrical lines damaged in the storm. National Grid is predicting most outages will be restored by 2:15 p.m.

The largest outage statewide is in Pittsfield where 183 homes and businesses have lost power, followed by Becket where 160 people are without power and Lanesborough where 109 residents do not have electricity, according to Eversource.

In the eastern part of the state, National Grid is reporting 167 homes and businesses are without power in Westport and Eversource said 61 people in Lincoln do not have electricity.

Other outages are in the following communities:

Webster: 139 outages

Bernardston: 94 homes and businesses.

West Brookfield: 52 outages

Greenfield: 50 outages

Agawam: 38 outages

Cheshire: 34 outages

A number of other communities including Springfield, Holyoke, Buckland, Shelburne, Ashfield, Blandford, Conway, Hardwick, Belchertown, Williamstown, Leominster, Phillipston, Douglas, Mendon, Franklin and Carver have fewer than 10 outages, according to power company officials.

Police in Amesbury are warning residents about a "violent and extremely aggressive" dog that attacked one person Sunday morning.

Police in Amesbury are warning residents about a "violent and extremely aggressive" dog that attacked one person Sunday morning.

The department said on Facebook there was an incident Sunday morning involving the dog, described as a brown pit bull. The attack occurred on Whitehall Road in Amesbury.

Police asked people to avoid going outside with their dogs especially in the Woodson Farm area. The dog was last spotted in the Whitehall Road area. Police, later on Sunday afternoon, asked people living in the area of the Whitehall Lake Drive Condos, Barbara Drive, Pamela Lane and Unicorn Circle to remain inside. 

Smith College, Amherst College, Boston University and a large number of other Massachusetts schools have been named by the "Paradise Papers" as holding funds in offshore accounts.

Earlier this month, the Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published The Paradise Papers, which revealed to the public the methods by which wealthy individuals and organizations eschew taxation by stashing large sums of money in offshore accounts.

Now, a large number of Massachusetts colleges--including Smith College, Boston University, Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, and many others--have been named in the "Papers" as being connected to offshore accounts. 

A new article from the ICIJ shows that some of the country's most elite universities use offshore tax havens for financial purposes. Similarly, a New York Times article published earlier this month showed that more and more American universities are using offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes as well as to hide investments that might spur protests by students. 

However, there is nothing implicitly illegal about institutions using offshore accounts, though they can sometimes be used for illegal purposes. Many organizations consider it to be simply a good business practice.  

The majority of Massachusetts schools listed in the new report are invested in a reinsurance firm located in Bermuda called School, College and University Underwriters, Ltd (SCUUL).

SCUUL was created in 1986 as a response to a liability crisis that was making it difficult to purchase insurance.  

Reinsurance firms are generally used to avoid risk and financial loss and to provide long term fiscal stability. Bermuda is a popular location for the reinsurance industry because it has no corporate tax and no capital gains tax. 

The Papers also show that Northeastern University is invested in EnCap Energy Capital Fund IX-C, a Cayman Islands partnership that is reportedly known for the "acquisition and development of North American oil and gas properties."

Below is a complete list of the Massachusetts schools listed by ICIJ: 

• Amherst College
• Babson College 
• Bentley College 
• Boston University 
• Clark University 
• College of the Holy Cross 
• Mount Holyoke College 
• Northeastern University 
• Smith College 
• Tufts University 
• Wellesley College 
• Williams College 

The news came hours after the ruling party's Central Committee on Sunday fired Mugabe as party leader and said if he didn't resign as the country's president by noon Monday it would start impeachment proceedings. Watch video

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is resigning after nearly four decades in power, according to an official close to the talks on his departure, in an extraordinary end to 37 years in power for the world's oldest head of state who had vowed to rule until death.

The news came hours after the ruling party's Central Committee on Sunday fired Mugabe as party leader and said if he didn't resign as the country's president by noon Monday it would start impeachment proceedings.

Mugabe was set to address the nation shortly on state-run television. The official close to the talks spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The 93-year-old Mugabe has been under house arrest since the military moved in Tuesday, angered by his firing of his longtime deputy and the positioning of unpopular first lady Grace Mugabe to succeed him.

Mugabe tried to buy time in negotiations with the military on a dignified exit but quickly found himself isolated.

Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of the capital Saturday to demand that Mugabe, one of Africa's last remaining liberation leaders, step aside after overseeing the once-prosperous country's economic collapse.

The deputy whom Mugabe fired, former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is poised to be Zimbabwe's next leader after the Central Committee made him its nominee to take over when Mugabe goes.

Mugabe speaking at the State House building where Mugabe holds official functions, a symbol of the rule of the man who took power after independence from white minority rule in 1980.

Clinging to his virtually powerless post, Mugabe earlier on Sunday discussed his exit with the army commander who put him under house arrest days ago, in a second round of negotiations.

Meanwhile, members of the ZANU-PF party's Central Committee stood, cheered and sang as Mugabe was recalled. Meeting chair Obert Mpofu referred to him as "outgoing president" and called it a "sad day" for Mugabe after his decades in power.

"He has been our leader for a long time and we have all learned a great deal from him," Mpofu said. But Mugabe "surrounded himself with a wicked cabal" that brought him down.

The meeting replaced Mugabe as party chief with Mnangagwa and recalled the first lady as head of the women's league. The Central Committee accused the first lady of "preaching hate, divisiveness and assuming roles and powers not delegated to the office." The committee's decisions will be formalized at a special party congress next month.

The Central Committee also expelled several high-level members close to the first lady, including minister of higher education Jonathan Moyo, finance minister Ignatious Chombo, Mugabe's nephew Patrick Zhuwao, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, foreign affairs minister Walter Mzembi and several others.

Zimbabwean officials never revealed details of Mugabe's talks with the military on his exit, but the military appeared to favor a voluntary resignation to maintain a veneer of legality in the political transition. Mugabe, in turn, likely was using whatever leverage he had left to try to preserve his legacy as one of Africa's liberation leaders or even protect himself and his family from possible prosecution.

Chris Mutsvangwa, head of the country's liberation war veterans, vowed to "bring back the crowd" if the president didn't step aside but said he was concerned that the military would end up opening fire to protect Mugabe from protesters.

"We would expect that Mugabe would not have the prospect of the military shooting at people, trying to defend him," Mutsvangwa said. "The choice is his."

On Saturday, most of Harare's population of 1.6 million poured into the streets in an anti-Mugabe demonstration that just days ago would have brought a police crackdown.

They clambered onto tanks moving slowly through the crowds, took selfies with soldiers and surged in the thousands toward the State House building.

The euphoria came after years of watching the once-prosperous African nation fall into decay, with a collapsing economy, repression of free speech, disputed elections and international sanctions.

Even as concerns remained about who next would be in charge, people reveled in the rare chance to express themselves freely.

Let us have this moment, Zimbabweans said. If the next leader becomes trouble, they vowed to return to the streets again.

By Christopher Torchia and Farai Mutsaka, Associated Press

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker made it very clear that police officials shouldn't be doing favors for anyone, period.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker made it very clear that police officials shouldn't be doing favors for anyone, period.

The governor's statement came on the heels of the Alli Bibaud case and the discovery that now-former Massachusetts State Police Col. Richard McKeon ordered troopers to redact comments made by the judge's daughter during her October arrest.

Baker, while speaking to WBZ-TV's Jon Keller, said police cannot give special treatment to anyone.

"You should never do a favor for a local big shot. Period. Ever," Baker said. "No exceptions."

McKeon and his second-in-command, Lt. Col. Francis Hughes, resigned amid controversy over the redaction of Bibaud's arrest report. McKeon ordered troopers to remove alleged statements by Bibaud where she mentioned her father is a judge and that she performed sex acts in order to obtain drugs. 

While responding to Hughes' retirement, State Police said it is typical for the second-in-command to leave their position to allow the new colonel/superintendent to select a new deputy superintendent. 

The two troopers involved in the arrest of Bibaud, Toopers Ali Rei and Ryan Sceviour, have both filed federal lawsuits against the State Police, McKeon and others over the colonel's order. 

Troopers Rei and Sceviour were both reprimanded after including the statements McKeon deemed "sensational" in the arrest of Bibaud, the daughter of Worcester County Judge Timothy Bibaud. 

Sceviour claims members of the Worcester County District Attorney's Office, supervisors in the State Police and other high-ranking state officials, were involved in the redaction of Bibaud's report. 

Judge Bibaud has denied ever being involved. 

New State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin is removing the reprimands from the troopers' files, Baker said. The new colonel is also conducting an investigation into the situation. Baker said there are going to be "other investigations" but did not specify further. 

Baker said his office determined McKeon made a mistake and should not have intervened.  

"His stated position, and he's never said anything other than this, he's owned it from the beginning, is that he wanted to clean it up because he felt some of the information in it was not germane to the charges that were being leveled against the defendant," Baker said in his interview with Keller. 

One could argue most of the redacted information could have remained in the report based on the charges, Baker said. The desk supervisor should have handled the reports and any possible redactions, the governor said. 

"They (State Police) need to put a much more explicit set of protocols in place with respect in how they handle issues associated with editing arrest reports," he said. "When we looked at the information, we concluded that - except for very minor circumstances - everything that was there belonged in the report."

Bibaud pleaded guilty to operating under the influence of liquor and several motor vehicle violations in Framingham District Court Friday. The charge of operating under the influence of drugs was not settled and a hearing on that matter will be held at a date yet to be determined. 

Bibaud was placed on probation for 14 months and will undergo drug treatment. She cannot drive for one year. Her lawyer said she is attending a 32-day treatment program in New Hampshire.

Troopers determined Bibaud was under the influence of alcohol and drugs during an October crash in Worcester. Troopers said they discovered drug paraphernalia associated with heroin use in Bibaud's car. 

Police confiscated the three weapons and Czaja's pistol permit when they arrested him.

ELLINGTON, Conn. - State police arrested a 22-year-old man accused of firing at least 34 shots from three different guns while drinking Saturday night.

Alexander Czaja, of Ellington, is being accused of shooting a speed limit sign and firing at random in the area of Crystal Lake and on Minor Hill, Aborn and Sandy Beach roads at about 10:25 p.m. Saturday, Connecticut State Police said.

Police received multiple 911 calls from residents of the Crystal Lake area, who reported hearing multiple shots being fired. State Police troopers and Ellington police responded and began searching the area.

They then found a man walking out of a wooded area carrying a long gun. Troopers ordered the man to drop the gun and lay on the ground, which Czaja followed. After handcuffing him, police found he was also armed with two handguns and had at least 25 more rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, police said.

"It was determined that the male had been drinking alcohol and was walking home from a friend's house" when he fired shots from each of the guns. Czaja did have a pistol permit, which was confiscated with the three guns, police said.

Czaja was charged with unlawful discharge of firearms, carrying firearms illegally while under influence of drugs or alcohol, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. He was released on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Nov. 27, police said.

The Police Departments will be giving toys to a variety of organizations including local soup kitchens and Toys for Tots.

Multiple Police Departments across Western Massachusetts are scheduling a variety of charity drives this holiday season to help those in need.

The majority are holding toy drives to ensure children get a visit from Santa this year. Monson Police is also collecting gifts for members of the military.

Toys will be given to local food pantries and other community organizations as well as Toys for Tots. Nearly all are asking people for new, unwrapped toys to stuff a cruiser.

Some of the events are as follows:

Agawam: The Police Department will be collecting gifts for Toys for Tots from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 17 and 18 in Geissler's Supermarket parking lot on Suffield Street.

Blandford: The Police Department will stuff a cruiser with toys from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Dec. 12 at Town Hall. The toys will be donated to the Huntington Food Pantry.

Chicopee: Chicopee Police will stuff a cruiser or two from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dec. 9 in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot on Memorial Drive. The toys collected will go to Toys for Tots.

Great Barrington: The Police Department is collecting for Toys for Tots from now until Dec. 11. People can drop off toys in the lobby of the department on Main Street.

Monson: Police are collecting gifts for care packages that will be shipped to residents who are serving in the military and deployed across the world. A collection box will be in the lobby of the Police Station on Main Street through Nov. 20. Donations have to be collected early because of the time it takes to ship packages.

Sturbridge: The Police and Fire Departments will be collecting Toys for Tots from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 9 at the Public Safety Complex on Main Street. Santa will be there and there will be hot chocolate and cookies. People can also drop toys off to the Public Safety Department lobby any time.

Wales: The Police Department will stuff a cruiser with toys for children and gifts for women, including gift cards, gloves and toiletries, during the Christmas Tree Lighting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Wales Elementary School on Main Street. The snow date is Dec. 9 and those who cannot make the event can drop donations off at the Town Office building until Dec. 1 or on Monday nights at the Police Department. The donations will be given to Womenshelter/Companeras in Holyoke.

Wilbraham: The Police Department is hoping to stuff three cruisers with toys on Dec. 9 to donate to families who are not able to afford presents. The event will be held between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Big Y on 2035 Boston Road. Contact Sgt. Jeff Rudinski, Sgt. Mark Paradis or Officer Brent Noyes at 413-596-3837 to nominate a family in need to receive gifts.

On Saturday the 2017 Fenway Gridiron Series saw Boston College and UConn clash in what was technically a home game for the Huskies.

BOSTON - On Saturday, the 2017 Fenway Gridiron Series saw Boston College and UConn clash in what was technically a home game for the Huskies.

BC needed one more a win to clinch a bowl game but had to do it without redshirt freshman starting quarterback Anthony Brown who is out for the season. UConn came into the game with a disappointing 3-7 record and riding a two game losing streak.

In the end, BC defeated UConn, 39-16.

For the younger Fenway faithful, football at America's most beloved ballpark may be a recent novelty. In truth, the Boston landmark has hosted its fair share over the decades including the high school national championship the year the park opened in 1912.

The first Eagles game at Fenway was in 1914, and over the years they've played there over 70 times. The Boston Patriots of the 1960's were one of five professional teams to make Fenway their home.

Saturdays tilt was the 14th time the Eagles have played the Huskies. Boston College has dominated the series, which began with a scoreless tie in 1908, with an overall 11-0-2 record.

The game time temperatures were seasonable for November but rain dampened the event as the night progressed. The gridiron matchup was a milestone of sorts in that it was Fenway's 3,000th non-baseball event in the last five years.

Home to Boston's beloved Red Sox, it's no secret that Fenway Park has unique and perhaps peculiar dimensions. Players navigating the narrow, not meant for shoulder pads, hallways from each clubhouse had to walk single-file.

Due to the space constraints, both teams shared the sideline by right field. Fortunately, for fans, this provided an uncommonly clear view from the first base infield stands while those in the Green Monster seats could see over coaches and players.

In their final regular season games on November 25th, Boston College will travel to Syracuse while UConn will take on the Bearcats in Cincinnati.

Eversource is on the scene repairing the downed wires but it is not known when power will be restored.

LUDLOW - Trees crashed down on Fuller Street, downing electrical wires and closing the street Sunday.

Currently about 169 homes and businesses are without power, according to Eversource.

High winds brought trees and power lines down at about 5:30 p.m., forcing police to close the road between Nash Hill Road and West Street, Sgt. Brian Shameklis said.

Eversource is on the scene repairing wires but it is not known when power will be restored, the trees can be removed and the road reopened, he said.

"It is going to take a little while, the wires are tangled in the trees," Shameklis said.

People are asked to avoid the area.

The high winds are causing a variety of other outages across Western Massachusetts. Most of the other outages are impacting fewer than 50 homes and businesses.

Tap for all public transit.. That's the new system planned for 2020 as the MBTA moves ahead with a $723 million overhaul of its fare collection.