A Texas official says explosive devices found with the suspected gunman at a high school near Houston weren't capable of detonating.

SANTA FE, Texas (AP) -- A Texas official says explosive devices found with the suspected gunman at a high school near Houston weren't capable of detonating.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said Saturday that authorities found a group of carbon dioxide canisters taped together, and a pressure cooker with an alarm clock and nails inside. But he says the canisters had no detonation device and the pressure cooker had no explosive material.

Henry also says police exchanged "a lot of firepower" with 17-year-old Dmitrios Pagourtzis before the Santa Fe High School student surrendered.

The shooting took place in an art room Friday morning on the roughly 1,400-student campus.

Pagourtzis is jailed on murder charges.

A representative for Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell has told TMZ that the NBA Hall of Famer is expected to check out of the hospital Saturday after being rushed there Friday night.

A representative for Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell has told TMZ that the NBA Hall of Famer is expected to check out of the hospital Saturday after being rushed there Friday night.

The Russell representative told TMZ that the basketball star was hospitalized for dehydration. He was kept overnight for observation after an ambulance picked him up in the Seattle area.

TMZ initially reported that Russell, 84, was having heart trouble and shortness of breath. 

Russell took home a Lifetime Achievement award last year at the NBA's regular-season awards show.

He also became the league's first player to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 when President Barack Obama honored him.

Wellspring Harvest will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony Sunday to commemorate the completion of its hydroponic greenhouse and the beginning of its agricultural production.

SPRINGFIELD -- Wellspring Harvest will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony Sunday to commemorate the completion of its hydroponic greenhouse and the beginning of its agricultural production. 

The cooperative corporation will officially open its Indian Orchard greenhouse with a 2 p.m. ribbon cutting event at the 121 Pinevale St. location. 

Following the ribbon cutting, Wellspring Harvest will hold a two-hour open house, which will feature demonstrations of hydroponic growing techniques, tours and free lettuce samples, according to organizers. 

The events will seek to showcase the initial crops of lettuce, herbs and other greens. Greenhouse growers said the crops should "show the quality produce" that will come from the facility.

Greenhouse Manager Stephen Hilyard noted that many Indian Orchard residents "have a deep connection to agriculture from their roots overseas, from years of farm work around the valley, and from home gardens."

"Here at Wellspring Harvest, even though we don't have huge fields, we are able to bring agriculture home to our backyard by growing greens and herbs in flowing water and nutrients all year long in a controlled environment," he said in a statement. 

According to Wellspring Harvest, the new greenhouse is a "state-of-the-art" facility that's designed to control humidity, light, air flow and temperature, among other things.

Produce from the facility is expected to hit the shelves of stores, including the Big Y and regional food cooperatives, in June. Food produced at the greenhouse will also be used at local hospitals and the Springfield Public Schools, according to Wellspring Harvest officials. 

The greenhouse will be organized as a worker cooperative, as part of the Wellspring network which seeks to provide jobs, training and wealth for employees who share in the profits. Employees must work for a year before becoming members of the co-op. 

Wellspring Harvest noted that the greenhouse currently has five employees, four of whom hail from the Indian Orchard neighborhood. 

Wellspring Harvest plans to grow vegetables, wealth at Chapman Valve site

Wellspring Harvest previously offered tours of the 15,000-square-foot, $1.3-million greenhouse, which is located on part of the old Chapman Valve site, in November 2017 -- months after it broke ground at the site. 

Dawon Wright, 22, of Dorchester, and Dario Baxter, 21, of Lynn, were located and arrested Saturday by members of the Boston Police Homicide Unit and Boston Police Fugitive Unit, police said in a statement.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the March killing of Michael Ross in Dorchester, Boston police said.

Dawon Wright, 22, of Dorchester, and Dario Baxter, 21, of Lynn, were located and arrested Saturday by members of the Boston Police Homicide Unit and Boston Police Fugitive Unit, police said in a statement.

Warrants for their arrests had been issued less than 24 hours before.

Ross, 34, of Dorchester, was gunned down in the area of 112 Wayland St. on March 30. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. 

Wright is being charged with murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a large capacity firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, police said. Baxter is being charged with murder and accessory after the fact.

"I want to praise the unyielding effort and dedication of my investigators and officers who worked tirelessly to ensure that these two violent criminals will now be brought to justice," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said. "I specifically want to commend my Homicide Detectives for their work on this case which led to these suspects being identified and charged.

"I would also like to commend my officers in the Fugitive Unit for successfully locating and arresting both suspects within 24 hours of their warrants being issued," the commissioner continued. "I can only hope that news of these arrests can bring some small level of comfort to the family, friends and loved ones of Michael Ross."

Nearly 500 students received their degrees Saturday, as the College of Our Lady of the Elms held its 87th commencement exercises at the MassMutual Center Saturday. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Nearly 500 students received their degrees Saturday, as the College of Our Lady of the Elms held its 87th commencement exercises at the MassMutual Center.

The class of 2018 consisted of 338 undergraduates, who received a total of 189 bachelor of arts degrees and 149 bachelor of science degrees. Elms College also awarded 114 masters' degrees, 18 doctoral degrees and three certificates of advance graduate study.

Louise C. Ivers, executive director of the Center for Global Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, was among those to deliver commencement remarks to graduates.

Ivers, in her speech, urged graduates to take five pieces of advice away from the ceremony: Cultivate gratitude, embrace service, don't let your imagination limit your aspirations, seek excellence every day in all of your work and have the courage to stand up and speak out.

Harry E. Dumay, who took over as the Chicopee-based college's president last July, also addressed the 471 graduates, family members and friends who gathered at the downtown Springfield arena for the event. 

Aside from the speeches, Elms College gave an honorary degree to Shirley Ann Session Edgerton, the founder and director of the Women of Color Giving Circle and Director of Youth Alive, Inc.

It also presented the Via Veritatis Medal to William F. Frain, the former senior vice president at UBS PaineWebber and a current Elms College trustee.

Family members accepted the award on his behalf. It recognizes an outstanding Catholic person who exemplifies Catholic life and culture at their best, and who has made significant contributions to society.

Agawam police are attempting to identify a woman who committed an unarmed robbery at a gas station on Saturday morning.

AGAWAM - Police in Agawam are asking for the public's help in identifying a woman who robbed a gas station Saturday morning. 

The unarmed robbery took place at the Valero station at 18 Springfield Street around 9:45 a.m., police said. 

Police did not provide a description of what was taken. 

Anyone who believes they may be able to identify the robber has been asked to contact the Agawam Police Department at 413-786-4767.

Police announced the arrests of two people Saturday in a fatal shooting outside a high school graduation ceremony in Georgia.

The suspect in a stabbing at a bakery in Ludlow Friday is being held on $1 million bail.

LUDLOW - The man who is accused of stabbing a 70-year-old bakery owner to death in Ludlow on Friday is being held on a $1 million bail, according to Western Mass News.

Franklin Conza, 47, of Springfield, is accused of entering the Ludlow Central Bakery, located at 270 East St., and stabbing to death 70-year-old Ludlow resident Carlos Santos. 

Police responded to the bakery around 7 p.m. Friday. 

The victim, who was the co-owner of the bakery, was found with multiple stab wounds and immediately brought to Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, reported the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. 

Conza was taken into custody Friday and is being charged with murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He will be arraigned in Palmer District Court Monday morning, said James Leydon, spokesman for the DA's office.  

The Ludlow Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney's Office and the Hampden District Attorney's Office Murder Unit are continuing to investigate the case, officials noted.  

The mother of one of the 10 people killed at a Texas high school said her daughter recently rejected the romantic advances of the 17-year-old charged in the shootings, a possible motive for the violent tragedy.

SANTA FE, Texas -- The mother of one of the 10 people killed at a Texas high school said her daughter recently rejected the romantic advances of the 17-year-old charged in the shootings, a possible motive for the violent tragedy.

Sadie Rodriguez said her daughter, Shana Fisher, had made clear that she was not interested in Dimitrios Pagourtzis.

"He continued to get more aggressive," Rodriguez told The Associated Press in an interview conducted Saturday via Facebook. "She finally stood up to him and embarrassed him."

The incident took place one week before the shooting, Rodriguez said. Police have not yet said what might have motivated the attack.

Asked about Rodriguez's allegation, a lawyer for the Pagourtzis's family said he hadn't heard about any such interaction between Pagourtzis and any of the victims and therefore couldn't comment.

"That's news to me," said lawyer Nicholas Poehl, though he cautioned that he'd spent much of the day disputing false rumors about the teen's personal life. Earlier Saturday, Poehl issued a statement from the family saying that they were "as shocked and confused as anyone else by these events that occurred" and asked for privacy.

"While we remain mostly in the dark about the specifics of yesterday's tragedy, what we have learned from media reports seems incompatible with the boy we love," the family's statement said.

Representatives of the school district did not immediately respond to questions about Rodriguez's comments.

A junior at Santa Fe High, Pagourtzis hid a shotgun and a handgun under his trenchcoat before opening fire in a first-period art class on Friday, according to an affidavit filed by police. The FBI announced Saturday that it had taken the lead in the joint investigation, at the request of local authorities.

"He gave a statement admitting to shooting multiple people inside the Santa Fe High School with the intent on killing people," the police affidavit said. "Dimitrios advised he did not shoot students he did like so he could have his story told." The attack ended when Pagourtzis walked out of a classroom and surrendered to police.

Authorities say Pagourtzis planned the killings, carried out with weapons owned by his father. Though Pagourtzis allegedly wrote about his intention to carry out the attack, authorities have not indicated a motive for the violence.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Pagourtzis had planned to kill himself after the shooting, but that Pagourtzis told police "that he didn't have the courage to commit the suicide."

Some Santa Fe High students indicated that Pagourtzis may have had one or more targets, though details were not clear. Breanna Quintanilla, 17, a junior, said she was in her art classroom Friday morning in what she described as a "perfectly normal day" when she heard gun shots.

Quintanilla said when Pagourtzis first walked in, he pointed at one person and said, "I'm going to kill you." Quintanilla, who was wounded escaping the classroom, did not identify that student.

At a news conference, Abbott said Pagourtzis had not previously been in trouble. "The red-flag warnings were either nonexistent or very imperceptible," he said.

In the absence of a clear motive, attention turned to a hodge-podge of incendiary posts by Pagourtzis on social media, which were quickly removed when his identity first emerged. One Facebook post was a picture of a T-shirt reading "Born to Kill." Another showed a trench coat adorned with various pins associated with conflicting ideologies and Cthulhu, a mythical creature drawn from the work of horror fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft.

In the wake of the shooting, various reports that Pagourtzis was bullied have surfaced from his classmates. However, two Santa Fe High students who said they knew Pagourtzis said they had no reason to suspect that he was planning Friday's attack.

Student Michael Farina said he had known the alleged gunman since fifth grade and considered him a friend. He recalled Pagourtzis talked about buying a gun "when I grow up," but never discussed his dad's guns or anything about his family.

Farina said he and Pagourtzis also talked a lot about video games they liked, including so-called first-person shooter games. They'd talked about one, "Escape from Tarkov," as recently as lunch on the day before the shooting, he said.

Farina did not recall Pagourtzis ever being notably angry.

"He seemed relatively happy for the most part," he said.

--By Jeff Horwitz, Sarah Zimmerman and Juan A. Lozano

Four young men were killed in a car crash in East Bridgewater Saturday afternoon.

EAST BRIDGEWATER - Four young men are dead after a car struck a tree in East Bridgewater on Saturday, police said.

The town's police and firefighters were called to the area of 558 West Street around 4:06 p.m. Saturday for a report of a crash, police said. 

Authorities discovered that a single car with five occupants had struck a tree. 

Three of the men were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth was taken to Brockton Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A fifth man was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment. Officials have not commented on his condition.   

The men were all teenagers, The Boston Globe reports. 

The identities of the victims have not been released. 

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. 

State Police Detectives in the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office and the State Police CARS Unit are investigating. 

Here are the winning numbers in Saturday's Powerball lottery drawing.

The latest Powerball drawing offers a hefty jackpot for someone who holds a lottery ticket with the right numbers.

File

Here are Saturday's winning numbers:

03-06-09-17-56, Powerball: 25, PowerPlay: 3X

The estimated jackpot is $315.3 million. The lump sum payment before taxes would be about $182 million. If there is no jackpot winner, the amount grows even larger for the next drawing.

The prize amount has grown steadily since the March 24 Powerball drawing. A single winning ticket worth $55.9 million was sold in Louisiana.

Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball champions.

The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Wednesdays and Saturdays. Deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.

The parents of slain Salem State University student Christopher Joyce accepted his diploma at this weekend's graduation as the young man was honored by his family.

The parents of slain Salem State University student Christopher Joyce accepted his diploma at this weekend's graduation as the young man was honored by his family.

CBS Boston reports Joyce, 23, was the first college graduate in his family. Joyce's aunt, Natasha Steele, told the television station the graduation was bittersweet, but she knows her nephew is watching over the family now.

Joyce and 58-year-old Clayborn Blair were fatally shot outside the Mildred C. Hailey Apartment complex in Jamaica Plain May 4. Prosecutors say both men were innocent victims of gang violence.

Wilvin Guity, 28, of Dorchester is accused of killing both men. Authorities said surveillance video placed Guity at the scene.

"Guity was then captured on camera as he walked into the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments and opened fire on a group of approximately 15 people in a Centre Street park," prosecutors said.

He is facing two counts of murder and was held without bail after his arraignment in Roxbury Municipal Court.

All of the teens inside the vehicle were students at Stoughton High School. Four students are dead, and a fifth was rushed to a Boston hospital.

UPDATE: The names of the students killed in the crash have been released by the district attorney's office. 

The five teens involved in an East Bridgewater crash that claimed the life of four people inside the car are all students at Stoughton High School.

In a letter posted on Facebook, Stoughton High School Principal Juliette Miller said the five students were involved in the fatal Saturday crash in East Bridgewater.

Four students died in the crash. A fifth student was rushed to Boston Medical Center. His condition has not been released.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of these students," the principal wrote.

The names of the students were not released.

Authorities opened the high school Sunday for faculty, staff and students to grieve. Counselors will be on scene. 

East Bridgewater police were called to Route 106 around 4 p.m. Saturday for a report of a car into a tree. Police officers and firefighters found the five victims inside the vehicle.

Three of teens were pronounced dead at the scene. Another teen died at Brockton Hospital. The crash remains under investigation.

Police are asking anyone who has information about the Sunday morning crash on Berkshire Avenue to call officers.

SPRINGFIELD - A driver struck multiple parked cars early Sunday morning and then fled.

The parked cars were hit on Berkshire Avenue. They were all badly damaged, police told Western Mass News.

There were no reported injuries, according to Western Mass News.

Police are looking for anyone who may have seen the car or driver or has other information about the crash. People with information can call police 413-787-6355 or text an anonymous tip to CRIMES (274637) and in the message type 'solve' and then type in the information.

The four victims who died in the crash all attended Stoughton High School. A fifth victim, the driver in the fatal crash, is in a Boston hospital.

The victims in the fatal East Bridgewater crash that took the lives of four Stoughton High School students and seriously injured a fifth student have been identified by the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office. 

Authorities said Christopher Desir, 17, of Brockton; Eric Sarblah, 17, of Stoughton; and Nick Joyce, 16, of Stoughton, all died at the scene of the crash Saturday in East Bridgewater. 

The fourth victim who died, David Bell, 17, of Stoughton, died after he was rushed to Brockton Hospital. 

The district attorney's office said the 17-year-old driver of the vehicle is now at Boston Medical Center where he is being treated. His name has not been released and authorities did not update his condition.

Stoughton Superintendent of Schools Marguerite Rizzi said the teens were all members of the high school's track team. The students were juniors and one is a sophomore, she said. 

East Bridgewater police were called to Route 106 around 4 p.m. Saturday for a report of a car into a tree. Police officers and firefighters found all five victims in the vehicle. 

The crash remains under investigation. 

Stoughton High School officials said all five students attended the school. Counselors are available at the school Sunday. 

The four Stoughton High School students killed in a Saturday crash were members of the track team. School officials called their deaths, a nightmare for the school community.

The deaths of four Stoughton High School students are the "worst nightmare of any school administrator," Superintendent of Schools Marguerite Rizzi said after a fatal crash in East Bridgewater Saturday. 

Rizzi spoke Sunday as the community grieves the loss of the four students killed in the crash on Route 106 in East Bridgewater. Counselors will be available at the school Sunday. Stoughton High School will open Monday. 

Five Stoughton High School students, all members of the track team, were inside a car on Route 106 in East Bridgewater when it struck a tree around 4 p.m. 

Three students were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth student died at a local hospital.

The students have been identified by the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office as: Christopher Desir, 17, of Brockton; Eric Sarblah, 17, of Stoughton; Nick Joyce, 16, of Stoughton; and David Bell, 17, of Stoughton.  

Authorities did not release the name of the fifth student. The 17-year-old, who was driving, is now at a Boston hospital. 

"We have experienced a tragedy in our community," Rizzi said in a statement. "There are no words to articulate the impact of this loss."

Rizzi also had a message to the high school students:

"To our students, I will say this: This is a shock and a trauma for our entire community. It will not make sense because it does not make sense. For students, especially those who know the classmates involved in the crash, you will likely feel confused, angry, and sad, and sometimes all at the same time. You are not alone in your grief and you should not feel alone. Know that the adults in our community will feel the same way."

The students are juniors, and another is a sophomore, Rizzi said. The track team has a meet on Sunday.

The crash remains under investigation.

Incumbents won big in Wilbraham's annual town election Saturday, May 19, with two school board members gliding to new terms and Robert W. Russell routing a challenger to hold onto his selectmen's seat for another three years.

WILBRAHAM -- Incumbents won big in Wilbraham's annual town election Saturday, with two school board members gliding to new terms and Robert W. Russell defeating a challenger to hold onto his selectmen's seat for another three years.

Russell, the Republican caucus nominee and current chairman of the Board of Selectmen, walloped David R. Martial, an independent with no apparent campaign website or social media presence. Russell received 676 votes to Martial's 192 votes, according to unofficial election results posted at Wilbraham Town Hall.

Democrat Carole J. Tardif, currently assistant town clerk, will succeed fellow Democrat Beverly J. Litchfield as town clerk. Tardif defeated independent Mary G. Rooke in a 578- to 364-vote race for the three-year term.

After more than a quarter-century as clerk, Litchfield is set to retire at the end of this month.

In a three-way race for two chairs on the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, incumbents Michelle P. Emirzian and Dr. William J. Bontempi were re-elected by healthy margins. 

Bontempi, a Republican caucus nominee, received 569 votes to Emirzian's 556. Newcomer Lloyd Keith Elliot II, another Republican caucus nominee, received 336 votes.

In the race for town moderator, Republican nominee James S. Jurgens defeated Democratic nominee Jane E. Clark. Jurgens received 519 votes to Clark's 414. The moderator presides over Wilbraham's town meeting form of government, in which community members come together to publicly vote on budgets, legislation and policies.

With 571 votes, Republican incumbent Raymond D. Burk was the highest vote-getter in a three-way race for two seats on the Board of Library Trustees. He will serve another three years on the panel alongside Karen M. Grycel, the Democratic caucus nominee, who received 521 votes to Republican D. John McCarthy's 318.

Selectmen appointed Grycel as an interim trustee in February, after a board member moved out of town.

In a two-way race for a five-year term on the Housing Authority, James S. Burke, the Republican Caucus nominee, defeated Democrat Karen L. Rucks, receiving 502 votes to her 403.

Bontempi, an oral and maxilliofacial surgeon when he's not advocating for schoolkids in Hampden and Wilbraham, took to Facebook to thank his family, friends, and fellow candidates.

"I would like to thank everyone who came out to vote today (Saturday)," said Bontempi, congratulating Emirzian for her victory as well. "I know the weather wasn't great and I appreciate those who came out to brave the elements to cast their ballots."

Bontempi also gave a "shout out" to Elliot, calling him a "class act" who ran "a great race."

"And now, the work continues," he said. "Great things are coming from this district and I am so excited to see more of our work paying dividends."

The event raises money for scholarships given to graduating students at Sabis International Charter School. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Kathryn Rose Mauke wanted to change the world. She had a full ride to American International College where she planned to study political science and she was excited for her 18th birthday because she would finally be able to vote.

Kathryn's dreams were taken from her when she was fatally stabbed in February 2015, just months before her birthday.

"Kathryn was an amazing kid. She wanted to do so much in her life," said her mother Jennifer Mauke during Sunday's 4th annual Celebrate Kate 5K Run and 2K Walk. "She was a true politician, and all she wanted was to turn 18 so she could register to vote, but that never happened."

Hundreds gathered for the event, held at Nathan Bill's Restaurant and Bar, which also included raffles, food and entertainment. Proceeds of the event go toward scholarships for graduating students at Sabis International Charter School, where Kathryn was a senior when she died.

"We had  a great turnout. It's moments like this that remind me that even though she is no longer here, Kathryn still has a voice and she is changing the world," Mauke said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno credited Nathan Bill's owners John Sullivan and Joe Sullivan for always supporting community events.

"I can't say enough about the Sullivan family at Nathan Bill's," the mayor said. "They have just become a community anchor when it comes to great events to raise money for great causes."

Sarno's daughter Cassandra Sarno was a student at Cathedral High School at the time of Kathryn's death. Both young women participated in American International College's Model Congress program.

"She told me Kathryn was so smart. I know she was very gifted and a great athlete and it was a terrible tragedy what happened to her," Sarno said. "Families that go through these tragedies, they are not obligated to do events like this. This is an ultimate sacrifice that has been made. They have turned this tragedy into a triumph by continuing Kathryn's legacy."

It was just months after her death that the first event in Kathryn's honor was held with the help of many family friends including Courtney E. Boron.

"When Kathryn passed away, a lot of people were so upset and sad and wanted a way to do anything for the Mauke family to encourage them and support them," Baron said. "A lot of us got together to come up with an event that would raise money to keep Kathryn's legacy alive and create a way for something good to come out of something so terrible."

Boron said the first year was a great success and the event has continued to grow ever since.

"Now we look forward to having a reunion every year at this event so Kathryn can look down and smile at all the people's lives that she has touched because they are so many," she said. "We have also done this, in a small way, to make sure the Mauke family knows they are loved."

This year's event has been especially difficult for the family as the murder trial of Mauke's ex-boyfriend Nickolas Lacrosse takes place in Hampden Superior Court. Lacrosse is accused of killing Mauke in her home when she was out sick from school.

"It has been incredibly difficult," said Jennifer Mauke, who attends the trial every day along with Mauke's father Daniel Mauke and their two remaining daughters Ashley and Mariah Mauke.

Mariah was given a full scholarship to American International College in Kathryn's name.

"My girls are just amazing," Mauke said. "Ashley lives in Boston, but she has been here every single day for the trial and Mariah managed to get on the dean's list even with everything that is going on.

"They just want to make their sister proud."

Hawaii officials on Saturday reported the first known injury related to heightened volcanic activity from Kilauea after a Big Island resident was hit by lava spatter while standing on a third-floor balcony. Watch video

Hawaii officials on Saturday reported the first known injury related to heightened volcanic activity from Kilauea after a Big Island resident was hit by lava spatter while standing on a third-floor balcony.

That person, identified only as a homeowner on Noni Farms Road, shattered his leg from his shin to his foot when lava spatter struck him, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim, according to Reuters.

Lava spatters "can weigh as much as a refrigerator and even small pieces of spatter can kill," the spokeswoman told Reuters.

Neither the mayor's office nor the Hawaii County Civil Defense Center immediately responded to requests for additional information early Sunday morning.

Noni Farms Road is a residential road that lies to the east of the Leilani Estates neighborhood in Pahoa, where the majority of the attention has been focused ever since Kilauea's volcanic activity increased dramatically three weeks ago.

To date, at least 23 fissures have formed along a northeast-southwest line in the rift zone, most in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhoods. Lava emerging from the vents has destroyed dozens of homes. 

Late Saturday, a fast-flowing stream of lava pouring from one of the active fissures also reached Highway 137, which hugs the island's eastern coast.

The lava shut down about a 4-mile section of the highway, between Kamaili and Pohoiki roads, blocking one of the main escape routes for the area's coastal residents. Officials said late Saturday that the lava had entered the ocean, and advised all people to avoid the area because of a new hazard: laze.

Laze occurs when hot lava meets the ocean, sending a plume of hydrochloric acid and steam - along with fine glass particles - into the air.

Laze plumes travel with the wind and can shift directions without warning, the county civil defense agency said.

The activity capped off a week of devastation, as The Washington Post's Kristine Phillips reported: Before dawn Thursday, a big explosion sent a plume of ash about 30,000 feet into the sky.

On Friday, several fissures, including one that just formed, spewed fresh lava from Kilauea's summit, destroying 40 structures in the morning, the center said. By afternoon, lava had isolated 40 homes in the area. Four people were airlifted by county and National Guard helicopters.

"With fresher, hotter magma, there's the potential that the lava flows can move with greater ease and therefore cover more area," Janet Babb, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, told Hawaii News Now.

Resident Ikaika Marzo likened the sound of lava to as many as 20 jets taking off at once in people's back yards.

"It's huge grenades going off," he told Hawaii News Now. "It shakes the whole community."

On April 30, the floor of the Puu Oo Crater, on the volcano's East Rift Zone, collapsed, sending its pool of lava back underground. Days later, after several small earthquakes, the magma pushed its way back to the surface on the east side of the island's Leilani Estates neighborhood, creating the first of many fissures to come.

Hot steam - and noxious sulfur dioxide gases - have risen from the vents, before magma broke through and splattered into the air.

Thousands of Big Island residents who were living near the lava flows have already evacuated. 

(c) 2018, The Washington Post, Written by Amy B Wang. Kristine Phillips contributed to this report.

About 600 women received degrees from Mount Holyoke College Sunday, including Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House minority leader, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree. Watch video

SOUTH HADLEY - As she was granted an honorary Doctorate of Law degree, Nancy Pelosi told new Mount Holyoke College graduates to be ready for opportunities by knowing their priorities as did alumni Frances Perkins, who created ground-breaking government programs.

"Know your power, use it and make a list," Pelosi, the U.S. House minority leader told the more than 600 graduates at Sunday's commencement on the college campus.

Pelosi, a 30-year congresswoman who served as House Speaker from 2007 to 2011, was the keynote speaker in the graduation where several speakers talked about the activism that grew this year especially from woman motivated by the #metoo movement, and students fighting for gun violence prevention.

Also receiving honorary degrees were Sonia Nieto, a professor of language, culture and teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Shirley J. Wilcher, a 1973 graduate of Mount Holyoke and lawyer who worked all her life to promote civil rights in and outside government. She is currently the executive director of the American Association for Access Equity and Diversity.

Aliza Malik, the graduate who gave the student address, talked about how the students stepped up to support different political causes during their four years at the college and called on her fellow graduates to be ethical, informed, patient, intentioned and firm.

Pelosi made only veiled references to her battles with President Donald Trump, saying "Some have forgotten we are all God's children" and "It is up to all of us to make sure America remains good."

Instead, she talked about the Mount Holyoke College tradition of creating strong leaders and saying how proud she was to be included in the same category of people like Wilcher and Frances Perkins.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Perkins to become the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the first female cabinet member in the country's history, she said she would only take the job if he would support her list of goals including creating what became the Social Security Act, instituting a 40-hour work week, ending child labor and establishing a minimum wage.

Pelosi said she was part of the "stroller brigade" with five children born in six years, but when her daughter was a teenager she began to consider running for Congress, driven with the goal of changing the statistic that one if five children live in poverty.

"The three most important things were the children, the children, the children," she said. "My list was their health, their education, the economic security of their families, a beautiful, safe environment in which they can thrive and world peace which they can be safe and succeed and reach their aspirations."

The graduates and audience applauded loudly when she praised young people for marching for so many causes including women's rights, gun control, civil rights, veterans and "justice for all" and told students they will now shape the future.

"Go forward with joy. You can never dance and laugh enough," she said.