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  U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging his Senate colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at improving mental health care and suicide prevention resources for America’s veterans, including approximately one million veterans living in New York State.

Amsterdam Mayor Ann Thane delivered her state of the city address last week. While Amsterdam is similar to other post industrial cities in New York and beyond, it’s also changing.

The top state housing official in Massachusetts will host a meeting Monday to discuss emergency shelters for the homeless in Springfield.

The meeting with Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Sec Jay Ash follows complaints from Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno that homeless families are being sheltered in de facto rooming houses, at state expense, concentrated in a few neighborhoods. The practice started last fall as the administration of former Gov Deval Patrick tried to reduce the number of homeless families living in motels. 

Winter storm warnings have been issued for most of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island beginning Sunday night.

The National Weather Service says between 8 and 14 inches of snow could fall in eastern and central areas Sunday night into Monday, with up to 16 in the Berkshires. Southwestern Connecticut could see between 5 and 10 inches of snow and sleet.

Many places in southern New England received at least 2 feet of snow in a blizzard with high winds Tuesday and Wednesday.

The contest to succeed longtime New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was supposed to give lawmakers two weeks to mull their options. Instead,  a decision between two candidates may be made before Silver's resignation from the post.

 Silver steps down effective Monday night. Waiting in the wings: Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie, who would become the first African-American speaker in New York, and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan of Queens, who would be the first female speaker in state history. 

A new report shows that one in five Vermonters are living in "fuel poverty" — meaning they are having to spend more than 10 percent of their household income on energy costs.

Vermont's state auditor is asking lawmakers to beef up the information consumers have when they decide where to have a medical procedure done.

In New York, the Orange County district attorney says no criminal charges will be filed in connection with allegations made concerning a school district’s athletics team.

The USDA has launched a new school nutrition program that greatly expands the offer of free school meals to students.  The program could reach more than 8.8 million children in high poverty areas.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon about the school meals option called the Community Eligibility Program.

Lake Placid's Olympic Flame Cauldron is being lit again to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games held in the Adirondack Mountain village.

The ceremony is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, February 13th — 35 years to the day from the original opening ceremony.

1980 Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee President Rev. J. Bernard Fell's opening ceremony speech will be the centerpiece of the program.