Weathersfield The assistance of 18 area fire departments, from both sides of the Connecticut River, at a fire Friday night on South Mountain Road and Route 131 helped firefighters contain the flames to the farmhouse where it started, Ascutneys fire chief said Saturday.

The home, estimated to be at least 200 years old, was a total loss, but additions to the house were saved. There were no injuries.

I needed a large amount of water because I didnt want to lose the garage, barn and the ell (that were) connected to the house, Ascutney Volunteer Fire Department Chief Darrin Spaulding said of the number of departments called to assist. One of those buildings was filled with hay. We used every tanker and pumped a pond dry.

The line of tanker trucks, red lights flashing, stretched westward along Route 131 on Friday night for as far as one could see. Spaulding said their water capacity ranged from 1,200 to 1,800 gallons on the smaller trucks to 3,000 to 4,000 gallons on the larger ones.

Some of the crews told me they dumped as many as six times, said Spaulding.

To fight the fire, Spaulding said, they used a ladder truck pumping 800 gallons a minute and two smaller hoses on the ground throwing 500 to 600 gallons a minute.

While an exact cause has not been determined, Spaulding said he was leaning toward the woodstove and chimney area. He said the fire burned through the left side of the house where the stove was located.

The fire was called under control at 11:50 p.m. At about 1 a.m., a portion of the second floor on the right side of the two-story home gave way and collapsed onto the floor below.

No one was home when the fire started. Spaulding estimated that it was going for a good hour before the first call came in at 9:30. It eventually went to five alarms and the last crews did not leave the scene until 11:30 Saturday morning, Spaulding said.

Departments responded from as far away as Westminster to the south, Ludlow to the west, Hartford to the north and Newport to the east, Spaulding said.

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If youve been playing Destiny since its release, but are looking for a breath of fresh air, look no further than The Dark Below.

That fresh breath of air will still feel sort of familiar once the newness wears off.

The Dark Below is the first downloadable expansion for Destiny. Story wise, the game introduces Eris Morn, a mysterious woman focused on preventing the Hive Lord Crota from taking over Earth.

Unfortunately, like the main game, were not treated to much more than that. There are a handful of new story missions that lead up to an anti-climactic conclusion, and thats it.

Part of me is disappointed at the games continued lack of focus on the story. The planets, and the characters (good and bad) that inhabit them, continue to play it safe. Given how ambitious the game is in other facets, its a shame the story continues to be left out of the equation.

Granted, a lot of players have forgiven Bungie for that, and Im still in that crowd. I cant help but feel myself wanting more knowledge of the universe I visit so frequently.

The Dark Below provides a slew of new content to keep both veterans and new players occupied. New weapons, armor and gear have been added, along with some new arenas for competitive multiplayer matches.

So much, in fact, its a little overwhelming.

All of my gear is practically obsolete thanks to the update, but thanks to some vanguard marks I earned over time, I was able to upgrade pretty quickly. There are tons of other legendary and exotic weapons and gear ready for the taking, and that alone has given the game new life for me.

The new strikes are welcomed additions. Bungie included two new strikes, Will of Crota and The Undying Mind, the latter being exclusive to PlayStation until at least the fall of next year.

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GAMING BLOG: Review - The Dark Below content for Destiny

The Padres sent Seth Smith and the final two years on his contract ($12.75 million) to the Mariners in the deal. There's also a $7 million club option for 2017 with a $250,000 buyout.

Smith essentially became expendable after Preller's dizzying trading spree earlier this month when he added outfielders Matt Kemp (Dodgers), Wil Myers (Rays) and Justin Upton (Braves), and with several incumbent outfielders already on the roster.

In Maurer, the Padres get a hard-throwing 24-year-old who has started and pitched in relief in his career but might fit best -- in the short term -- in the team's bullpen plans.

That will all be determined in Spring Training, Preller said.

CLE@SEA: Maurer fans two in perfect relief appearance

6/28/14: Brandon Maurer strikes out two in his perfect relief appearance in the 8th inning against the Indians

"That's [versatility] part of the attraction," he said. "We've seen him be successful in the Minor Leagues as a starter and we saw the success as a reliever in the second half last year. It's a big body, he's got velocity with the fastball, a good slider and a good changeup."

Maurer throws in the mid-90s, occasionally reaching the high 90s with his fastball. His acquisition comes one day after the team added another hard-throwing right-hander reliever in Shawn Kelley from the Yankees.

"This was to give [manager Bud Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley] some options," Preller said. "I think the versatility really stood out for us."

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Padres acquire righty Maurer for Smith

There have been upgrades and additions along the way: Chase Headley flipped a two-month audition into a four-year, $52 million contract, Nathan Eovaldi and Didi Gregorius are now on the roster as young, promising players on the rise, and left-hander Andrew Miller provides a dominant arm for the bullpen.

The Yankees have brought back other members of the '14 club in left-hander Chris Capuano and outfielder Chris Young, while trading for left-hander Justin Wilson. They'll also have Alex Rodriguez back on the roster following his season-long suspension.

For what it's worth, the Yanks' Pythagorean win-loss record was calculated to be 77-85 in 2014, so manager Joe Girardi deserves credit for a job well done. Will it be enough to bring back a similar roster, or -- as some rival executives believe -- are the Yankees gearing up to make yet another a big winter splash?

Here are the Yankees' 10 biggest questions as they head into 2015:

10. Do they need to hold their breath with Tanaka?

Two September starts -- a good one against the Blue Jays and a clunker against the Red Sox -- comprises all of the information that the Yankees have about where Tanaka is after rehabbing his partially torn right ulnar collateral ligament. It is better than nothing, of course, and the Yankees were pleased that Tanaka was able to snap off a few splitters against big leaguers and return to Japan healthy.

It's their hope that a few months of rest will permit Tanaka to recapture the form he showed in his first 17 starts of an All-Star season; if so, he should be the Yanks' ace. Chris Carpenter is a good example of a pitcher who continued to have success after a UCL tear, but the Yanks can't let their guard down. They know that any one pitch could be Tanaka's last of the year.

9. Can they count on CC Sabathia as a workhorse, and if not, who can be?

It's no secret that the Yankees worked Sabathia hard in his first four seasons, continuing to log miles after he was similarly pushed by the Indians and especially by the Brewers. Sabathia never complained; he loved having the ball in his palm, and he rewarded the Yanks with a World Series title and three All-Star selections.

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Yankees' 2015 questions begin with rotation

Hyundai Motor Co. (005380) will build two more plants in China with local partner BAIC Motor Corp. (1958), expanding local output about 57 percent to meet demand in the South Korean carmakers biggest market.

The factories in Cangzhou, Hebei province and Chongqing city will begin production in the second half of 2016, according to BAICs statement to Hong Kong stock exchange today. Annual output will be 300,000 vehicles each, BAIC said, without giving an investment amount.

Hyundai joins competitors including Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. (GM) in making and selling more vehicles in China as urbanization and economic growth increase demand. The South Korean carmaker already has three plants in the country, where it faces rising competition and ranks fourth in sales among foreign brands.

Although the Chinese auto markets growth has slowed recently, it still is a key market with high demand for vehicles, and Hyundai will be able to take advantage of that with the increased capacity, said Shin Chung Kwan, an analyst at KB Investment & Securities Co.

Hyundai shares fell 1.5 percent to 169,000 won at the close in Seoul trading. BAIC Motor fell 1.7 percent to HK$8.95 in Hong Kong.

Hyundais affiliate Kia Motors Corp. (000270) will also increase capacity at its third plant in Jiangsu province to 450,000 units by 2016 from the current 300,000, according to an e-mailed statement from Hyundai Motor today.

The additions at Hyundai and Kia will boost the two carmakers output in China to 2.7 million units by 2018, compared with 1.95 million vehicles this year, the company said. Hyundai alone has production capacity of 1.05 million units in China and plans to raise that to 1.65 million units by 2018, the carmaker said.

Volkswagen said last month it would raise its Chinese plant capacity to more than the previously targeted 4 million autos a year by 2018. That compares with capacity there of more than 3.1 million vehicles in 2013.

GM plans to spend $14 billion from 2014 through 2018 to open five new vehicle assembly plants and support annual sales of about 5 million cars and trucks in the country, the company said in October.

Hyundai has sold more than 1 million vehicles in the first 11 months of this year, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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Hyundai Will Add Two Factories in China to Meet Demand

December 29, 2014 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) Wisconsin Rapids Rafters Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.- The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are pleased to announce the additions of three players from Seattle University to the 2015 roster. Catcher Michael McCann, third baseman Brock Carpenter, and left-handed pitcher David Marshall have all signed contracts to join the Rafters for the 2015 season.

"This is the first season we have partnered with the Seattle University program and Coach Mike Nadeau," Rafters general manager John Fanta said. "We look forward to the contributions that these three talented players will make to our organization and I know Coach Noto is very excited to work with them as well."

C- Michael McCann, 6'2", 198 lbs, (L/R) Sophomore, Seattle

Michael McCann enters his second season with the Redhawks after appearing in 49 games during his freshman campaign. The left-handed hitting McCann posted a .232 average with six doubles, one home run, 18 runs scored, and 21 runs driven in. After his spring season, McCann appeared in 43 game in the West Coast Summer Collegiate League and posted a .318 batting average and .425 on-base percentage while driving in 25 runs. Prior to arriving at Seattle University, McCann was selected in the 40th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners after being a two-time First Team All-League selection at Columbia River High School. He is a native of Vancouver, Washington and is a pre-major in the Albers School of Business and Economics.

3B- Brock Carpenter, 6'3", 205 lbs, (R/R) Sophomore, Seattle

Brock Carpenter also enters his second season with the Redhawk program. Carpenter started all 52 games he played in during his freshman season, hitting .260 with 12 doubles, one home run, 20 runs scored and 30 runs driven in. Like McCann, Carpenter also played in 36 games in the West Coast League after his freshman season, while batting .294 and swatting 11 doubles, three home runs, and 29 RBIs. Drafted in the 39th round of the 2013 MLB Entry Draft by the San Diego Padres, Carpenter concluded his prep career earning First Team All-State and All-Area honors after hitting .373 with 36 RBIs and leading the state of Washington in home runs, with eight. He is a native of Fife, Washington and is majoring in Sport and Exercise Science.

LHP- David Marshall, 6'0", 227 lbs, (L/L) Freshman, Seattle

David Marshall will begin his first season in Seattle in 2015 after a very accomplished career at Kamiakin High School. Marshall was twice named his team's pitcher of the year after compiling an 8-3 record with a 1.93 earned run average while tallying 70 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings of work in helping his team to a state championship in 2012. In 2013, Marshall went 5-3 with a 1.91 earned run average, 46 strikeouts and 55 innings pitched. He is a native of Kennewick, Washington.

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Rafters Sign Trio from Seattle University

UPDATE: Video walkthrough of Ascension shows changes, additions.

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 07/07/2014

UPDATE: Courtesy of YouTube user woooshness we have a video walkthrough of the reimagined Ascension for Halo 2 Anniversary.

In the video, below, taken from the Rooster Teeth Expo over the weekend, we're shown Ascension, which has been made HD and 60 frames per second as part of Xbox One game Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

A number of changes have been made, including tweaks to the level design, a new weapon spawn and, most importantly of all, an energy shield for the middle of the map. There are three control panels placed around the map, which can be activated to turn on the energy shield, providing cover in the middle for their teammates.

ORIGINAL STORY: One of the greatest Halo multiplayer maps ever is getting remastered for Xbox One shooter Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Coagulation is a Halo 2 multiplayer map that was itself a remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer map Blood Gulch. It's a huge valley with identical bases at both ends.

Coagulation was announced over the weekend at the Rooster Teeth Expo as one of the six Halo 2: Anniversary maps 343 Industries and its co-production team at Certain Affinity are reimagining for Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

The six new Halo 2: Anniversary maps run at 60 frames per second and, hopefully, at 1080p resolution. There's no gameplay or screenshots of the new and improved Coagulation yet, but we do have some concept art, below.

At E3 last month Microsoft announced Halo 2 map Ascension as the first of the six reimagined maps. So, now we know two of them, four are left to be revealed.

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Halo 2's Coagulation remastered for Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Man found naked and masturbating outside home told police mother won't allow pornography inside house Man found naked and masturbating outside home told police mother won't allow pornography inside house

Updated: Friday, December 12 2014 7:58 AM EST2014-12-12 12:58:11 GMT

Police say a man was arrested after he was found naked and masturbating outside of his Stuart home. According to tcpalm.com, the incident happened back on November 14. Police say the man, identified as 21-year-old Anthony Smith, told deputies that his mother won't let him watch pornography inside of the house.

Police say a man was arrested after he was found naked and masturbating outside of his Stuart home. According to tcpalm.com, the incident happened back on November 14. Police say the man, identified as 21-year-old Anthony Smith, told deputies that his mother won't let him watch pornography inside of the house.

Updated: Thursday, December 11 2014 8:32 AM EST2014-12-11 13:32:38 GMT

Police say a teen is dead after he allegedly tried to rob a man on a D.C. street and had his own gun turned on himself.

Police say a teen is dead after he allegedly tried to rob a man on a D.C. street and had his own gun turned on himself.

There's a lot of uproar over a TMZ headline announcing Marion Barry's death on Sunday. It reads: "Marion Barry -- Crack Mayor Dead At 78."

There's a lot of uproar over a TMZ headline announcing Marion Barry's death on Sunday. It reads: "Marion Barry -- Crack Mayor Dead At 78." We asked TMZ creator Harvey Levin about it in a live interview on FOX 5 News, and he said the headline will not be changed despite the outrage some have expressed.

Updated: Friday, November 28 2014 12:55 PM EST2014-11-28 17:55:19 GMT

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Wisconsin man celebrates 40 Christmases with same tree