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Christmas

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Gronk The Elf Spreads Cheer To Children At Shriners Hospital In Springfield Gronk The Elf Spreads Cheer To Children At Shriners Hospital In Springfield
Gronk The Elf Spreads Cheer To Children At Shriners Hospital In Springfield A former New England Patriots player decided to trade in the football jersey and helmet for a fuzzy coat and cap with a jingle bell to spread Christmas cheer among children at a local hospital. Robbie the Elf, otherwise known as Rob Gronkowski, made a surprise visit to Shriners Children's New England in Springfield on Tuesday, Dec. 20, the hospital said.  The four-time Super Bowl champion flexed his skills in air hockey and soccer while also doing origami with several patients. Gronk the Elf even took a note out of Santa Claus' book by bringing each child gifts that included footballs, jer…

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by David Cifarelli
Weather
Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures
Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures A massive pre-Christmas storm packed with damaging wind gusts and heavy downpours is causing localized flash flooding, power outages, and some school closures in the region. The system, which arrived Thursday afternoon, Dec. 22, will wind down by Friday evening, Dec. 23. A total of between 2 to 3 inches or more of rainfall is possible. For a look at the precipitation types from the system, with rain in green and a mix of rain and snow in pink, click on the first image above from AccuWeather.com. "Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects," the National Weather Service said in a…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions
Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions A storm system packed with a wide swath of snow, rain, and strong winds is expected to cause poor travel conditions and bring accumulating snowfall to some spots in the days leading up to Christmas. The system is due to arrive on Thursday, Dec.  22, the National Weather Service said. Areas expected to see accumulating snowfall Thursday and Friday, Dec. 23 are shown in blue in the first image above. Blizzard conditions are possible in areas shown in royal blue. The second image above shows a look at areas (marked in red) where poor travel conditions are expected on Friday. Curren…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times
Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times Separate quick-moving systems will bring multiple wintry weather events across the region through Christmas. The first system has the potential for a light coating of snowfall, less than an inch, Thursday night, Dec. 23 into Friday morning, Dec. 24 for most of the region, with the potential for more snowfall farther north in New York and New England, according to the National Weather Service.  Another quick-moving low-pressure system will bring a light wintry mix of mainly sleet and freezing rain Christmas Eve night into early Saturday morning on Christmas Day, Dec.…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests
Covid-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests Less than three weeks after the first case of the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant was identified in the United States, the first death in the nation connected to the strain has been confirmed in the Houston, Texas area. The patient was a man in his 50s who was not vaccinated and had an underlying health condition, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, according to KHOU-11, a CBS-affiliated television station in Houston. Houston Methodist said on Monday, Dec. 20 that 82 percent of its new cases are omicron after just three weeks of testing for it, KHOU reported. Omicron …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC COVID-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC
Covid-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC With Thanksgiving just days away, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released safety guidelines for holiday gatherings. "There are several ways to enjoy holiday traditions and protect your health," the CDC said. "Because many generations tend to gather to celebrate holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, said Sunday, Nov. 21 on CNN that "Obviou…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data COVID-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data
Covid-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data With children back in the classroom and activities moving indoors as the calendar turns to the holiday season, the US has seen a spike in new COVID-19 cases among children that are causing concerns. According to a new report, in the past week, more than 122,000 COVID-19 cases were reported among minors, marking a 22 percent increase from approximately two weeks ago. The numbers represent the 14th straight week that child COVID-19 cases topped 100,000, despite the vaccine becoming more readily available for those between the ages of 5 and 12, though the number has dropped since peaking at 25…

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by Zak Failla
Business
USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps
USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps The United States Postal Service is gearing up for the holidays, unveiling its brand-new holiday stamps and announcing shipping deadlines to deliver mail by Christmas. The USPS shared in an announcement on Thursday, Oct. 7, that the postal service is releasing a number of holiday and winter-themed stamps, including the brand new Santa Claus stamps. “The A Visit From St. Nick stamps bring joy to the kid in all of us,” said Scott Bombaugh, the Postal Service’s vice president and chief technology officer. “Holiday cards and letters mailed with these stamps will delight people of all ages. The…

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by Nicole Valinote
Weather
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Forecast: Lots Of Rain Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Forecast: Lots Of Rain
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Forecast: Lots Of Rain Christmas is more likely to look gray than white this year with rain predicted starting on Christmas Eve. The weather in Central and Western Massachusetts in the week leading up to Christmas is forecast to be warm, clear, wet, then cool.  Today, Monday, Dec. 21, will start off with patchy freezing fog with a love of 27 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Tuesday, Dec. 22, and Wednesday, Dec. 23, are expected to present the best weather of the week with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 35-40 degree-range. On Thursday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, there it will a…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says COVID-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says
Covid-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says The United States continues to set records as new COVID-19 are mounting over the fall, though the numbers reported may not truly represent the actual number of infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the country tops 15.5 million COVID-19 cases, the most in the world, the CDC is estimating that the actual number could be between two and seven times between that, based on surveys and models. Between Feb. 27 and Sept. 30, there were nearly 7 million laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections, but when adjusted for potential false-negative test results, incomp…

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by Zak Failla