Amherst Police remove four from homeless shelter after fight

Four guests fighting at the Craig’s Place homeless shelter, 434 North Pleasant St., including one man who grabbed a woman by the neck and threw her against a wall, were removed at 9:24 p.m. Wednesday. No one was injured during the altercation.

An explosion near the town’s transfer station, 740 Belchertown Road, that filled the street with smoke at 6:54 p.m. Wednesday was reported by  a driver, who had to swerve his vehicle to avoid passing through the smoke, and a jogger. Police were unable to find the source of the explosion, and there was no damage .

Police are trying to identify a suspect who used a key to scratch a vehicle parked at Hampshire Health & Fitness, 90 Gatehouse Road, in an incident reported by the owner at 6:57 p.m. Tuesday.

Police were called at 12:40 p.m. Saturday  after a loose dog jumped the backyard fence of a Florence Road home and attacked a dog that was in the yard, leaving it with a cut on its nose. The case was referred to Westfield Animal Control, which has a contract with the city to handle such issues.

Herman Waden, 54, of Hartford, Connecticut, was arrested on Union Street on a charge of shoplifting by concealing merchandise at 5 p.m. March 18 after allegedly stealing a bottle of Tanqueray gin from Union Package Store.