Voting for the May 21 Belchertown municipal election will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school.

BELCHERTOWN -- There are contested races for the Board of Selectmen and School Committee on Monday's town's election ballot.

Voting will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school.

Voters will fill a one-year selectman's term, with three candidates running to fill the unexpired term of William Barnett, who resigned earlier this year. Those seeking the seat are: Edward G. Boscher, of 14 Spring Hill Road, Brian T. Biggons, of 79 Mountain View Drive, and James W. Quirk, of 277 Aldrich St.

Incumbent Selectmen Ronald E. Aponte, of 38 Azalea Way, and Nicholas J. O'Connor, of 13 Maplecrest Drive, are being challenged by Amy T. Clegg, of 170 Jackson St., and Gail Gramarossa, of 39 North Main St.

Three candidates are seeking two three-year seats on the School Committee: Ruby Bansal, of 8 Atherton Lane, Lamikco Magee, of 11 Raymond Drive, and Joshua R. Wallace, of 111 Clark St.

Diane O. Brown, of 111 Enoch Sanford Road, is unopposed for a one-year term on the School Committee.

Incumbent Roger M. Bonsall of 76 South St. is unopposed for a three-year term on the Board of Health. Colleen M. Duroshea, of 670 Bay Road, who dropped out of the race, did not withdraw in time and so her name will appear on the ballot, according to the town clerk's office.

Assessor Donald L. Minney, of 51 Ludlow Road, is running unopposed for a new three-year term.

Louis A. Fassen, of 184 Metacomet St., is unopposed for a five-year term on the Planning Board.

A 20-year-old Haverhill man was shot and killed while sitting in the front passenger seat of a car Thursday night.

A 20-year-old Haverhill man was shot and killed while sitting in the front passenger seat of a car Thursday night.

The man, who police have not yet identified, was sitting in the car at the corner of Washington and Shepherd Streets when a person in a passing car shot him at about 5 p.m. The driver of the car containing the victim drove to City Hall where firefighters began to help the man, Carrie Kimball Monahan, a spokeswoman for the Essex County District Attorney's office wrote in an email.

He was taken by ambulance to Merrimack Valley Hospital and later airlifted to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston where he was pronounced dead, Kimball Monahan said.

The DA's office will not comment on a possible motive at this time as the investigation is "active and fluid," Kimball Monahan said.

The Volvo was later found parked on Cambridge Street, with its front passenger door open and six shell casings inside, Assistant District Attorney Jill O'Connor said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man arrested after a shooting on Kenyon Street last summer was back in court Thursday, charged with a new shooting on the same street.

Todd Hankins, 25, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court to possessing a firearm without a permit, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building and five related charges.

A second suspect, Eric Wilson, 21, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The pair were riding in a black Volvo SUV when they allegedly opened fire on a couple outside 72 Kenyon St. on Wednesday afternoon, Assistant District Attorney Jill O'Connor said. The couple was not injured, but a car parked outside their apartment was struck by two bullets, the prosecutor said.

The Volvo was seen leaving the area at high speed and later found on Cambridge Street, with its front passenger door open and six shell casings inside, O'Connor said.

One witness told police that two men had jumped from the vehicle and run toward Dawes Street; Hankins and Wilson were arrested while walking on Bay Street, and later identified by several witnesses, O'Connor said.

The prosecutor requested $50,000 cash bail for both defendants, based on the new charges and their criminal records.

Wilson has two open cases -- one involving an assault and battery on a police officer, the other for possession of a firearm without a license, the prosecutor said.

Hankins is awaiting trial for illegal possession of ammunition -- a charge filed after shell casings were found in his vehicle following a shooting on Kenyon Street in August, the prosecutor said.

Defense lawyer Deborah Roberge, representing Wilson, opposed the bail request.

"What we have is a firearms case, with no firearm," Roberge said, noting that police did not recover the 9mm Luger allegedly used in the shooting.

No witness placed her client on Kenyon Street at the time of the shooting, and police have not said that Wilson knew either of the alleged targets, Roberge said.

She asked Judge Mark Pasquariello to release her client on $500 personal surety and, if the judge considers it necessary, require him to wear a GPS tracking bracelet.

Defense lawyer David Pritchard, representing Hankins, said his client has never been convicted of a crime, never defaulted on a court appearance, and made no attempt to resist or flee when police confronted him Wednesday.

Hankins has strong family ties to Springfield and poses no threat to flee before trial, according to Pritchard, who requested that bail be set no higher than $400, the most his client could afford to pay.

The prosecution's $50,000 bail request was excessive for "such a weak, circumstantial case with gaping holes. This is a highly defensible case," Pritchard added.

The judge set bail at $20,000 for Wilson and $10,000 for Hankins. At the prosecutor's request, Pasquariello also revoked their bails in the open cases, effectively jailing them for 90 days.

The victim of a fatal drive-by shooting in Haverhill Thursday night has been identified as Nike Colon.

The victim of a fatal drive-by shooting in Haverhill Thursday night has been identified as Nike Colon.

Colon, 20, was shot and killed while sitting in the passenger seat of a car Thursday around 5 p.m.

Ramon Torres was arrested shortly after being placed on the Massachusetts State Police list of most wanted fugitives.

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield man on the state's most wanted fugitive list is being held on $250,000 bail following his arrest on a child sex charge.

Ramon Torres, 60, pleaded not guilty May 10 in Springfield District Court to two sexual assault charges, including rape of a child.

Torres allegedly sexually assaulted a boy between the ages of 6 and 7, according to a summary of the investigation filed in court. In January the child told his mother, who reported the alleged assaults to Springfield police.

The defendant often gave the boy money and gifts, and spent time alone with him while doing repair projects in his garage, the report said.

Torres, listed as single and unemployed in court records, was believed to have fled to Puerto Rico as police investigated the boy's allegations.

He was placed on the Massachusetts State Police's list of most wanted fugitives on March 28. A state police flier indicates he was captured April 2.

Torres was extradited from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on May 9 and transported to Springfield police headquarters, where he was arrested by city and state police officers, Springfield police spokesman Ryan Walsh said. 

At his arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Colleen Monroe requested $250,000 bail.

Judge Robert Santaniello granted the bail request and continued the case for a pretrial hearing on June 11.

If Torres posts bail, he must submit to GPS monitoring and home confinement and have no contact with the victim or witnesses in the case. He must also have no contact with children under the age of 6, Santaniello said.

The City Council approved a five-year tax incentive agreement that will cut taxes on the improved property but require the company to pay the existing taxes on the land.

CHICOPEE - A local construction company is planning to move to a parcel of land in the Chicopee River Business Park, which has been mostly empty since it was created more than 25 years ago.

A. Crane Construction LLC. is purchasing an about 10-acre lot known as Parcel 8 on East Main Street. The property is across the street from the main part of the Business River Park and on the side that runs along the Chicopee River, said Eric Nelson president and CEO of Westmass Westmass Area Development Corporation, which owns the industrial park.

The company has not closed on the land but negotiations are mostly completed. "We are well on the way to making the deal happen," Nelson said.

Not all the property is buildable because there is a drainage basin on the land and it slopes down to the river bank, but there is at least three acres of property which is needed for the project, Nelson said.

The company has not closed on the land but negotiations are mostly completed. "We are well on the way to making the deal happen," Nelson said.

He said the project is good news for A. Crane Construction, which has been operating in the city since 1988, and Westmass Area Development Corporation, which has struggled to find businesses interest in locating in the park since it was created in 1990.

"Action begets action and it bodes well for attracting interest from other businesses who may see a business successful there," he said. "Hopefully it will springboard development there."

Owners Andy and A.J. Crane are investing $1.44 million in the project and plan to build a 7,000 square-foot building on the property, according to city records from a tax incentive grant.

The company, which offers a variety of services including new residential and commercial building, remodeling, additions, construction management and property management and maintenance, will add six jobs with the expansion, the agreement said.

Andy Crane could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Tuesday the City Council approved a five-year tax incentive agreement that will reduce the property taxes on the increased value of the land for five years if the deal goes through. In the first year of the agreement in fiscal year 2021 the city will waive 75 percent of the owed taxes, in each of the next three years it will waive 50 percent of taxes and in the last year it will waive 25 percent of the taxes.

Mayor Richard J. Kos, who encouraged the City Council to approve the agreement, said the company will still pay the full current taxes on the property under the deal.

City Councilors spoke in support of the company and passed the agreement in a 12-0 vote.

"He is going to put a building on a piece of property that has been vacant forever," Councilor Robert Zygarowski said. "There is no doubt he will make a go of it."

Others talked about the company being highly reputable and about the owners commitment to community service in the city.

"It is good for someone from Chicopee to remain in Chicopee," Councilor Frederick Krampits said. "It is in an area that has been dormant for so long, hopefully it will jump start something."

The industrial park, which has about 110 acres in Chicopee and 40 in Springfield, was developed with the idea that it would offer services that would attract high-tech businesses and those specializing in emerging technologies but it never did. Prima Electro North America is its only business.

In February state officials awarded a $70,000 grant to Westmass to help in master planning and marketing for Chicopee River Business Park in the hopes that it could help the non-profit rebrand the area to make it more attractive to businesses.

Thomas Latanowich, the man accused of killing Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon called and texted his girlfriend several times the day of the shooting writing: "I shot a cop and I killed a cop," WHDH reports.

Thomas Latanowich, the man accused of killing Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon called and texted his girlfriend several times the day of the shooting writing: "I shot a cop and I killed a cop," WHDH reports.

Gannon was serving a warrant to Latanowich when the 29-year-old allegedly shot the officer and his K-9 Nero. A new police report obtained by WHDH sheds light into the moments after shots were fired on Blueberry Lane in Marstons Mills.

While barricaded in the home Latanowich repeatedly called his girlfriend and sent a flurry of text messages, all about a minute apart, WHDH reports.

"I'm taking as many as I can. I already shot him. I killed a cop. I shot a K-9," he texted, according to the police report.

Latanowich is being held without bail on a murder charge.

No injuries were reported early Friday after a flatbed truck driver lost control on Routes 10 and 202 and dumped slabs of rock on the side of the road. Police said the crash occurred about 4:30 a.m. and the scene was cleared by 7:30 a.m.

SOUTHWICK -- No injuries were reported early Friday after a flatbed truck driver lost control on Routes 10 and 202 and dumped slabs of rock on the side of the road.

Police said the crash occurred about 4:30 a.m. and the scene was cleared by 7:30 a.m.

It occurred in the area of 95 College Highway, not far from Meadow View Farms.

Aaron Schlossberg, the New York lawyer who yelled at workers and customers in a Midtown restaurant for speaking Spanish, has a history of aggressive interactions. Watch video

Aaron Schlossberg, the New York lawyer who yelled at workers and customers in a Midtown restaurant for speaking Spanish, has a history of aggressive interactions. 

In the video, Schlossberg threatened to have workers "kicked out of my country" for speaking Spanish with Spanish-speaking customers. 

"Every person I listen to -- he spoke [Spanish], he spoke it, she's speaking it -- it's America," he says in a video recorded by another customer. "I pay for their welfare, I pay for their ability to be here -- the least they can do is speak English."

The video went viral leading a man who had a similar interaction with Schlossberg to speak of the attorney. 

Willie Morris was walking in Midtown with his girlfriend in 2016 when he made eye contact with another man passing on the sidewalk. As they continued walking, Morris said he "made a beeline towards me, holds up his briefcase in front of me and tries to shove me with it."

In the video, Schlossberg asks, "What country are you from? I'm going to call the police." 

He went on to tell Morris, "You don't run into people. I'm a citizen here, you're not. You're an ugly, [expletive] foreigner."

Two years later, Morris saw New York Post coverage of the incident in Fresh Kitchen and recognized Schlossberg. 

"I was born in Massachusetts," Morris told PIX 11 News, reflecting on the encounter. "It just says to me that the rhetoric that our leaders put out and we see broadcast, it makes a difference and emboldens people, gives people the courage to say things that maybe they wouldn't normally say." 

Schlossberg has a history of attending anti-immigrant rallies and getting into loud disagreements with counter-protesters. Videos of such encounters have surfaced online since the incident in the Midtown restaurant. 

Schlossberg has been a member of the New York Bar Association since 2003. 

He faced widespread backlash after the video went viral leading to protests outside his office and his lease of a Madison Avenue work space being terminated by building management. 

"His actions are just not consistent with our community and rules and regulations," Hayim Grant, the president of Corporate Suites, told the New York Post. "It's totally contrary to everything we believe in as a company and personally."

Law enforcement officers in Texas are responding to reports of an active shooter at high school southeast of Houston.

Law enforcement responded to a high school near Houston after an active shooter was reported on campus Friday, with at least one student saying she saw a man with a gun enter her classroom and start shooting as the class evacuated.

The Santa Fe school district issued an alert around 8 a.m. saying Santa Fe High School was on lockdown. Galveston County sheriff's Maj. Douglas Hudson said units were responding to reports of shots fired, but said he had no immediate details on whether anyone had been hurt.

One student told Houston television station KTRK in a telephone interview that a gunman came into her first-period art class and started shooting. The student said she saw one girl with blood on her leg as the class evacuated the room.

"We thought it was a fire drill at first but really, the teacher said, 'Start running,'" the student told the television station.

The student said she didn't get a good look at the shooter because she was running away. She said students escaped through a door at the back of the classroom.

Authorities have not yet confirmed that report.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to a shooting at the school.

Santa Fe is a city of about 13,000 residents, located 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

The suspect, Chevoughn Augustin, 39, of 5 Constitution Plaza, Apt. 903 was charged with criminal attempt murder; assault 1st, assault on a police officer and criminal mischief 3rd, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

HARTFORD -- A veteran police officer, repeatedly stabbed in the throat while responding to a disturbance involving a landlord and tenant Thursday morning, is in critical but stable condition, police say.

The suspect, Chevoughn Augustin, 39, of 5 Constitution Plaza, Apt. 903, was charged with criminal attempt murder; assault 1st, assault on a police officer and criminal mischief 3^rd, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

Augustin was given a $4.5 Million dollar bond and is slated to appear Friday morning in Superior Court in Hartford.

The incident occurred about 9:40 a.m. when police responded to the apartment building at 5 Constantine Plaza for a report of a disturbance involving a female tenant of the building.

On arrival to 9^th floor apartment, police made contact with Augustin. At some point during the investigation a struggle ensued and the suspect grabbed a large ceramic kitchen knife, placed the female officer in a chokehold and began stabbing her in the neck.

The officer managed to radio for assistance and an officer in distress call was initiated.

Building management and maintenance workers who were in the immediate area, heard the struggle and were able to subdue and disarm the suspect. Backup officers then arrived and began immediate bleeding control and other life-saving measures.

The injured officer was taken to Hartford Hospital's Emergency Department. She suffered a lacerated jugular vein and trachea and was taken into surgery.

The officer's family is with her and has asked that her name not be released pending arraignment of the suspect as they work to notify family and friends.

Detectives say the building management and maintenance personnel who intervened in the struggle saved the officer's life.

The suspect was taken to St. Francis Hospital and treated for minor lacerations to her hand. Upon her release she was taken to Hartford Police Department Major Crimes Division. Augustin was cooperative with detectives although she has aliases and they are trying to confirm her identity.

One student told Houston television station KTRK in a telephone interview that a gunman came into her first-period art class and started shooting. The student said she saw one girl with blood on her leg as the class evacuated the room.

Law enforcement have taken a suspect into custody after reports of an active shooting at a high school near Houston Friday.

The Santa Fe school district issued an alert around 8 a.m. saying Santa Fe High School was on lockdown. Galveston County sheriff's Maj. Douglas Hudson said units were responding to reports of shots fired, but said he had no immediate details on whether anyone had been hurt.

One student told Houston television station KTRK in a telephone interview that a gunman came into her first-period art class and started shooting. The student said she saw one girl with blood on her leg as the class evacuated the room.

"We thought it was a fire drill at first but really, the teacher said, 'Start running,'" the student told the television station.

The student said she didn't get a good look at the shooter because she was running away. She said students escaped through a door at the back of the classroom.

Authorities have not yet confirmed that report. Aerial footage from the scene showed students standing in a grassy field and three life-flight helicopters landing at the school.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to a shooting at the school.

There was a large law enforcement response to the same school in February when it was placed on lockdown after students and teachers said they heard "popping sounds." Santa Fe police swept the campus but found no threat.

Santa Fe is a city of about 13,000 residents located 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

A 30-year-old man who authorities say set a fire to lure two people out of their Lawrence home before shooting them in 2011 will be arraigned on two counts of murder in Salem Superior Court Friday.

A 30-year-old man who authorities say set a fire to lure two people out of their Lawrence home before shooting them in 2011 will be arraigned on two counts of murder in Salem Superior Court on Friday.

The suspect, Waldos Rojas, was arrested at a home in Pennsylvania after United States marshals executed an arrest warrant that was issued after a lengthy investigation into the murders of 29-year-old Daniel Diaz and 25-year-old Elizabeth Hernandez.

Police say Rojas intentionally set the fire outside of 5 Bailey St. on Oct. 17, 2011, which drew Diaz and Hernandez outside where they were shot.

The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Unit, working with the United States Marshall's Service, tracked Rojas to a home in Pennsylvania where he was arrested without incident.

"I am grateful to all of the law enforcement officers for not giving up on finding the person responsible for this brazen crime," Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said in a statement. "The family and friends of Mr. Diaz and Ms. Hernandez hopefully can find some peace knowing that the man responsible for their murder will be finally brought to justice."

Jay Pressley, 28, denied multiple charges, including manslaughter homicide by OUI and negligence.

ORANGE -- An Orange man was held without bail following his arraignment Friday morning on charges related to May 13 crash that claimed the life of Eric Gage.

Jay Pressley, 28, denied multiple charges, including manslaughter homicide by OUI and negligence.

There was an agreement between the parties that Pressley be held without bail without prejudice, meaning that he can request bail at a later date.

Pressley was ordered to return to court on June 25.

 This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted.

Police arrested a 16-year-old teen who allegedly shot a 17-year-old male in the chest during rush hour in Downtown Boston while wearing a court-ordered GPS monitor on May 2.

Police arrested a 16-year-old teen who allegedly shot a 17-year-old male in the chest during rush hour in Downtown Boston while wearing a court-ordered GPS monitor on May 2.

The boy, who is not being identified because he is a minor, was arrested at Boston Juvenile Court on Thursday where he was set to appear for an unrelated case, Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said in a news release. He is charged with assault with intent to murder

Police say the 16-year-old shot a 17-year-old teen in the chest just before 5 p.m. on May 2. The young men were "three to five feet" away from one another when the 16-year-old fired his gun on Washington Street, Wark wrote in the release.

The 17-year-old victim recovered, but told police he did not know the person who shot him.

"Witnesses described a chilling scene in which someone could easily have been killed," Conley said in the written statement. "The gunman fired without any apparent provocation in a busy area crowded with people. What possible motive could explain that conduct, much less justify it?"

Witnesses told Boston police that the gunman was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt. They said he pulled out a handgun and shot the victim, who screamed and ran away before collapsing on Temple Place. He was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment, according to the news release.

Boston Police detectives gathered video from cameras installed at the Downtown Crossing MBTA station. It captured the shooting and more video of the gunman running into the train station, jumping the turnstiles and boarding an Orange Line Train.

He later got off the train and got into a cab near Stuart Street. Investigators learned the suspect was wearing a court-ordered GPS monitor at the time of the shooting. It showed the young man was in the area at the time of the shooting.

The 16-year-old was held on $250,000 cash bail at his arraignment Thursday.

The body of a female was pulled from the Little River in Haverhill Friday morning, according to the Essex District Attorney's Office.

The body of a female was pulled from the Little River in Haverhill Friday morning, according to the Essex District Attorney's Office.

The Haverhill Fire Department recovered the body after a passerby called 911 around 8:05 a.m. The District Attorney's Office said at this time, it does not appear that there is a connection with Thursday night's fatal shooting and foul play is not suspected. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated if more information becomes available.

The April unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.9 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Massachusetts economy gained 6,100 jobs in April, and 5,900 of them were in the private sector.

The state's unemployment rate remained at 3.5 percent last month, according to data released Friday by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national rate in April was 3.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But Massachusetts' unemployment rate was higher, at 7.4 percent, when those who have stopped looking for work and those who are working part-time but who would rather work full-time are included.

That's an indicator that more people are looking for work as the economy improves.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts has added 47,600 jobs since April 2017.

"Massachusetts has now experienced a 3.5 percent unemployment rate for seven consecutive months. Over the year, jobs are up 47,600 with Professional, Business and Scientific Services adding 19,200 jobs -- signs of continuing growth and strength in the economy," Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said in a news release.

Over the year, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from 3.9 percent in April 2017.

Local numbers for cities and towns won't be out for another few weeks. 

Statewide, the labor force increased by 20,900 from 3,683,700 in March, as 19,700 more residents were employed and 1,300 more residents were unemployed over the month.

The state's labor force participation rate  -- the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks -- is up over the month four-tenths of a percentage point at 66.0 percent. Compared to April 2017, the labor force participation rate is up four-tenths of a percentage point. 

Massachusetts  has 3.6 million employed residents, according to Friday's release.

Economists figure the unemployment rate based on a survey of households and jobs numbers based on a survey of employers. 

April 2018 Jobs numbers by industry

• Education and Health Services added 3,100 (+0.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 6,200 (+0.8%) jobs. 
• Professional, Scientific and Business Services added 2,500 (+0.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific and Business Services added 19,200 (+3.4%) jobs.
• Other Services added 1,700 (+1.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services are up 2,600 (+1.9%) jobs.
• Financial Activities gained 1,300 (+0.6%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities added 2,000 (+0.9%) jobs.
• Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 100 (0.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation and Utilities gained 800 (+0.1%) jobs.
• Construction lost 1,300 (-0.8%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction has gained 9,100 (+6.1%) jobs.
• Leisure and Hospitality lost 900 (-0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 7,000 (+1.9%) jobs. 
• Information lost 400 (-0.4%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information lost 600 jobs (-0.7%).
• Manufacturing lost 300 (-0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing gained 2,200 (+0.9%) jobs.
• Government added 200 (0.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government lost 1,000 (-0.2%) jobs.

According to H2 Gambling Capital, an betting market intelligence firm, U.S. gamblers made $196.2 billion in illegal sports bets in 2016, including both gambling with licensed off-shore websites and black market bookmakers.

With the Supreme Court's decision this week to scrap a federal ban on sports betting, Massachusetts lawmakers are considering ways to legalize it -- and bring millions in potential tax revenues to the state.

If they do, they will be legitimizing an industry that is already operating in the shadows on a massive scale, both nationally and in Massachusetts.

According to an estimate by H2 Gambling Capital, a betting market intelligence firm, U.S. gamblers made $196.2 billion in illegal sports bets in 2016, including both gambling with licensed off-shore websites and black market bookmakers.

"As context, this number is over 47 times the current US legal sports betting market, or nearly 1.5 times the total handle for all gambling taking place on the Nevada Las Vegas Strip in 2016," H2's report says. "This analysis means that 97 percent of all U.S. sports betting in 2016 was 'illegal'."

Other researchers have reached somewhat lower conclusions; the American Gaming Association has estimated that illegal sports betting is a $150 billion market in the U.S, and the firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming has estimated $50 billion to $60 billion black market.

But H2's analysis, released in November of last year, portrays an industry larger in scale than significant sectors of the legal economy.

Americans spent more on illegal sports betting than on household appliances, televisions and baked goods combined, according to H2's report and data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. The illegal betting market was four times larger than spending on fresh vegetables. In terms of other vices, it exceeded what Americans spent on store-bought alcoholic beverages and spending on tobacco.

Compared to other forms of recreation, illegal betting also came out ahead. Americans illegally bet about 14 times more money on sports than they spent going to the movies, and nearly eight times what they spent attending spectator sports.

And Massachusetts was a significant contributor, according to H2.

State-by-state statistics are hard to come by for black market betting websites and in-person bookmakers, who do not make a habit of releasing information about their customer base. H2, whose research has been cited in reports by The New York Times, The Economist and the professional services firm KPMG, calculated its black market estimate by applying industry assumptions of illegal gambling prevalence and average spending to the projected size of a fully regulated sports betting market in the U.S.

But for gray market betting -- sports gambling done on off-shore websites licensed in their own countries -- Massachusetts punched above its weight class.

Massachusetts spent the 8th most money of any state on grey market sports bets, according to H2, totaling $680 million in 2016. California and New York topped the charts, spending $3.6 billion and $1.57 billion respectively.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is well aware of the scope of illegal sports betting, and listed attracting gamblers away from black markets as a policy goal of legalization in a February white paper.

"While regulated sports betting in Nevada enjoys resurgent interest, sophisticated online illegal sports betting is easily available. A simple Google search for 'online sportsbook' returns numerous providers that offer online betting options to U.S. customers regardless of the legal status of sports betting in one's state," the commission's white paper says. "Many of these operators also provide mobile apps that integrate seamlessly with the sportsbook to allow for bettors to place bets wherever they have access to their smartphone."

"These black market operators may appear legitimate at first glance, but they are unlicensed and unregulated," the paper continues. "As a result, a disgruntled customer has limited recourse in the event of any complaint and no guarantee of any consumer protections for their money once it is sent to the operator."

Such betting made up about 10 percent of total illegal sports gambling in the country, with 69 percent going to black market online betting and 17 percent to illegal land-based betting, according to H2's analysis.

H2's calculation that 97 percent of 2016 sports betting in the U.S. was illegal is higher than previous estimates, but other studies have also concluded that gambling's black market dwarfs its legal counterpart. A 2014 analysis by the International Centre for Sport Security and the University of Sarbonne Paris concluded that 80 percent of the sports betting market was illegal.

H2 and the potential gaming operators watching Massachusetts closely for a chance to jump into the market view the industry on a macro scale.

But, as anyone who has worked an office job during March Madness knows, bans on sports betting have long been ignored when it comes to small scale and social gambling.

A 2016 Gallup poll found that 15 percent of American adults had participated in an office pool in the last year. It is a pastime that crosses age and cultural barriers -- and extends into the halls of the State House.

MassLive asked each member of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, who would be the first lawmakers to review legislation legalizing sports betting, if they had ever bet money on sports in Massachusetts.

Most did not reply. Sen. Mike Barrett, Rep. Brian Murray and Rep. Keiko Orrall said they had not done so. Both Sens. Eric Lesser and Adam Hinds said they had participated in March Madness pools, with that being the extent of their sports betting. And Rep. Carole Fiola also said she had some small-stakes experience.

"The only sports 'bet' I've ever made was buying a 'square' at a house Super Bowl party," Fiola wrote in an email. "I recall I never won!"

Gov. Charlie Baker has also said he has never bet money on sports.

Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning.

Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning.

Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports.

The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldn't immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect "has been arrested and secured."

"We hope the worst is over and I really can't say any more about that because it would be pure speculation," Richardson told media outlets at the scene.

School officials said law enforcement officers were working to secure the building "and initiate all emergency management protocols to release and move students to another location." Students from the high school were being transported to another location to reunite with their parents.

One student told Houston television station KTRK in a telephone interview that a gunman came into her first-period art class and started shooting. The student said she saw one girl with blood on her leg as the class evacuated the room.

"We thought it was a fire drill at first but really, the teacher said, 'Start running,'" the student told the television station.

The student said she didn't get a good look at the shooter because she was running away. She said students escaped through a door at the back of the classroom.

Authorities have not yet confirmed that report.

Aerial footage from the scene showed students standing in a grassy field and three life-flight helicopters landing at the school in Santa Fe, a city of about 13,000 residents roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to a shooting at the school.

There was a large law enforcement response to the same school in February when it was placed on lockdown after students and teachers said they heard "popping sounds." Santa Fe police swept the campus but found no threat.

Vibrations from construction on the sewer separation project caused the aging water main to break several times.

CHICOPEE - The city will replace a century-old water main after discovering it was in worse condition than initially believed.

During the project to separate the sewer and storm drain pipes on Cochran and Muzzy Streets, officials examined the water mains and initially believed they did not have to be replaced even though they are 80-100 years old, said Jeffrey Neece, Department of Public Works superintendent.

But workers discovered the cast iron pipe is more brittle than initially thought. Vibrations from the construction project caused it to break several times, disrupting water service to residents, Neece said.

The City Council agreed this week to transfer $1 million from the Water Department surplus account to fund the project in a 13-0 vote.

"It makes no sense to not install the water lines," Councilor James K. Tillotson said. "We don't want to have to tear up the road again."

The city began replacing aging water mains while separating sewer and storm water mains as required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency mandate demanding the city stop dumping raw sewage into the rivers.

The decision to include water main replacement in the project was made in part a cost saving measure because the road was already being torn up and, at least once, a water main ruptured shortly after a road was repaved following a separation project.

This project will be more involved than usual because there is not enough space under the road to install a new water main, activate it and then rip up the old one. Instead crews will have to install a temporary main above ground so residents will still have water during construction, remove the old pipe and then replace it with a new one, Councilor Frederick Krampits said.

The Department of Public Works is hoping to begin the construction as soon as possible so they don't have to use the temporary water main in the hottest months of the summer because the water that comes from the pipes will likely be warmer than normal, he said.

Councilor Robert Zygarowski aired his concerns about the installation increasing the length of construction in neighborhoods that have suffered through years of construction mainly from the sewer separation projects.

Neece said the work should start as soon as possible and will take approximately three weeks.

"Broadway has been a war zone for three years. How long will it take?" he asked. Cochran and Muzzy streets are off Broadway.

Neece said the work should start as soon as possible and will take approximately three weeks.