■The arrival of winter was preceded by a massive traffic tie-up along Route 91 involving about 200 cars, Wednesday. The cars were reported stuck either on or off the roadway after a light freezing drizzle made the going treacherous between 11 last night and 3 this morning.
■Today marks the beginning of a revival. Ski trains are back in New England. Based on the newly established Washington to Montreal route of AMTRAK, the new trains will have several features planned to appeal to the ski crowds: a cabaret car named “Le Pub” and a baggage car especially equipped with ski racks.
■Inspired by the exertions of Smith College rowers — who raised $850 for an emergency shelter by holding a workout on rowing machines — an anonymous donor is pledging a $5,000 “challenge” gift to the Hampshire County Interfaith Cot Shelter at 123 Hawley St.
■A recent gift of eight IBM computers and a printer from Smith College to ServiceNet Inc., a nonprofit human service agency in the city, will make keeping up with their paperwork and correspondence easier for agency clinicians, according to Marie Hartwell-Walker, an agency spokeswoman.
■A pair of Boston-area developers are pitching a plan for a 44-room hotel at the former male attendants’ building at Village Hill Northampton, signaling another key development on the groups of the former state hospital.
■Students at Northampton High School were kept in their classrooms and dismissed under police supervision Wednesday after a reportedly threatening note was found in one of the school bathrooms. About 45 minutes after the message was reported, police investigated a report of an armed man dressed in camouflage in the area between JFK Middle School and the Route 9 roundabout.