Christmas services in area churches

Amherst Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Ave. / 256-6754 Christmas Eve: 4 p.m. Holy Eucharist followed by the Christmas Pageant; 8 p.m. Holy Eucharist with choral prelude at 7:30; 11 p.m. Holy Eucharist with choral prelude at 10:30 Christmas Day:...

Woman with drawn-on mustache robs credit union

WEBSTER (AP) — Police in Massachusetts are looking for a woman they say tried to throw off investigators by drawing a mustache on her face to rob a credit union.Webster police say the suspect entered the Webster First Federal Credit Union at about 1...

Amherst school project likely headed for another TM vote

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — The town’s ambitious school project shot down at Town Meeting in November is getting new life. More than 50 parents and children ascended the main staircase at Town Hall Tuesday afternoon to drop off petitions, with 420 signatures, asking...

Springfield settles suit against police for $1.4M

SPRINGFIELD (AP) — A Springfield man who sued two police detectives after he was convicted of murder, imprisoned and later acquitted has won a $1.4 million settlement from the city.The Republican reports that municipal documents show the settlement...

Florence man gets 20 to 25 years in prison for child rape

By MICHAEL MAJCHROWICZ

NORTHAMPTON — Moments before the two little girls faced their abuser for the last time, the bikers gathered around them — a wall of black leather vests — as they walked into the courthouse. They had nothing to fear, the bikers assured the girls.The...

Help for Syria urged at Northampton rally

By JACK SUNTRUP

NORTHAMPTON — A world away from Aleppo, Syria, Zaid AlNassar stood behind a microphone Sunday and in Arabic tried to convey an unimaginable feeling: the pain of a relentless war that has ripped apart his homeland.Wind swept in and clouds churned...

Amherst native to launch tour to help immigrants across the nation

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — An Amherst native who has provided legal assistance to hundreds of undocumented immigrant youth in New York sets out on a nationwide journey next month in response to what she sees as growing fears and uncertainty for many about...

In straw vote, divided Charter Commission in Amherst to study mayor-council government

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A divided Charter Commission is moving forward with pursuit of a new government structure that would replace the Select Board and Town Meeting with a mayor and town council.In what commission chairman Andy Churchill calls the first...

Help needed for MANNA’s Christmas dinner in Northampton

By JACK SUNTRUP

NORTHAMPTON — Organizers of the MANNA Soup Kitchen’s Christmas dinner are busy scouting out volunteers and preparing orders during the run-up to Dec. 25.“Christmas is usually a little bit smaller than Thanksgiving,” said Ricki Carroll, who is helping...

Orange murder suspects indicted in Superior Court

ORANGE — A Franklin Superior Court grand jury has indicted Joshua Hart, 24, and Brittany Smith, 27, on murder and other charges in connection with the Oct. 5 home invasion and killing of Thomas Harty and attempted murder of his wife, Joanna...

Push-up challenge at Frontier school aims to raise awareness of veteran suicides

By ANDY CASTILLO

SOUTH DEERFIELD — About 30 Frontier Regional School students paused from their studies Monday afternoon to complete 22 pushups — promoting discussion on mental health and suicide among military veterans.“Twenty-two is the average (number) of veterans...

Obama pardons 78, record for a day

By KEVIN FREKING

HONOLULU — President Barack Obama has pardoned 78 people and shortened the sentence of 153 others convicted of federal crimes, the greatest number of individual clemencies in a single day by any president, the White House said Monday.Obama has been...

Trump wins Electoral College vote

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

WASHINGTON — There were many protesters but few faithless electors as Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote Monday — ensuring he will become America’s 45th president.An effort by anti-Trump forces to persuade Republican electors to abandon the...

NC lawmakers to undo ‘bathroom bill’

By JONATHAN DREW

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina leaders struck a deal Monday to kill the state law widely derided as the “bathroom bill,” after it tarnished the state’s reputation, cost it scores of jobs and contributed to the Republican governor’s narrow...

Truck rams Christmas market in Berlin, leaving 12 dead

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

BERLIN — A truck rammed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people and injuring around 50 as it tore through tables and wooden stands. Police said a suspect believed to be the driver was arrested...

Russian envoy to Turkey shot dead

By BURHAN OZBILICI and SUZAN FRASER

ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish policeman fatally shot Russia’s ambassador to Turkey on Monday in front of a shocked audience at a photo exhibit and then, pacing near the body of his victim, appeared to condemn Russia’s military role in Syria, shouting:...

Russian ambassador to Turkey slain

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A gunman opened fire on Russia’s ambassador to Turkey at a photo exhibition on Monday. The Russian foreign ministry confirmed he was shot and killed.Turkish police shot and killed the gunman, Turkish station NTV reported.The...

Zsa Zsa Gabor, famous for being famous, dies at 99

By TRE’VELL ANDERSON, VALERIE J. NELSON and BEVERLY BEYETTE

LOS ANGELES — The best known of three glamorous sisters from Hungary, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor pioneered a modern version of celebrity — she was famous for being famous. With the advent of television talk shows, Gabor became a frequent guest as...

AG: Massage parlors in Northampton, Hadley among those involved in alleged sex trafficking operations

By MICHAEL MAJCHROWICZ

NORTHAMPTON — Two alleged human trafficking operations with ties to Northampton and Hadley have been disbanded, state Attorney General Maura Healey’s office announced Tuesday evening.The operation netted four arrests and helped identify 10 victims who...

Man who fired shots in DC pizzeria to face federal charges

By JESSICA GRESKO

WASHINGTON — A man inspired by an internet conspiracy theory to fire an assault weapon inside a pizza restaurant warned friends that his “raid” could involve killing people, according to court documents made public Tuesday.Edgar Maddison Welch, 28, of...