The Fall River Public Schools has moved to lay off 73 educators in schools throughout the district, according to the latest data.

Fall River Educators Association President Keith Michon spoke at the June 3 meeting of the Fall River Public School Committee, where he reflected on some “not-so-good things,” leading up to a difficult last month when 213 initial non-renewal letters were sent to district employees. 

“I’m very disheartened to see so many great educators and those with great potential leave Fall River. … I’m hopeful that better systems can be put in place,” he said, citing “a difficult year filled with disruption and instability for so many.”

Rather than “clean house,” Michon said, “we need a builder.”

See more at heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts' chief public defender is demanding a review of all cases involving the officers in the Karen Read case.  It would specifically focus on former State Police trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton sergeant Sean Goode.

This comes after Read filed a lawsuit last week over racist and sexist text messages sent by the disgraced officers. 

Read claims Proctor and Goode were driven by misogyny in their alleged efforts to frame her for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. 

Last year, a jury acquitted Read of second-degree murder after a previous jury was split, leading to a mistrial.

Over the next few weeks, public works crews and third-party contractors will be resurfacing roadways around Dartmouth.

The town put out a press release Tuesday warning drivers about the travel and parking impacts they may encounter between June 9 and July 18.

“Dartmouth Department of Public Works thanks all residents and visitors for their patience while this vital street work is completed,” the press release said.

The work will be done between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Signed detours will be in place, according to the town, and parking won’t be allowed in the affected areas during those hours on weekdays.

Here is a list of the resurfacing locations:

• Metropolitan Street (from Slocum Road to Dead End)
• Huntington Avenue (from Slocum Road to Dead End)
• Lexington Avenue (from Slocum Road to House #90)
• Longfellow Street (from Lexington Avenue to New Bedford City Line)
• Patton Street (from Slocum Road to Dead End)
• Truman Avenue (from Marshall Street to MacArthur Street)
• MacArthur Street (Truman Avenue to House #4 on Marshall Street)
• Doolittle Avenue (Nimitz Street to Doolittle Avenue)
• Nimitz Street (Truman Avenue to Doolittle Avenue)
• Slocum Road (Route 6 to Patton Avenue)
• Chase Road (Kyle Jacob Road to Gentle Valley Drive)

See more at wpri.com.

Jesse Machado will never forget the afternoon of Feb. 21, 2022.

It was the day the 36-year-old said he stabbed 43-year-old Davide Semenza to death.

“He was so joyful with everybody,” Semenza’s widow, Giorgia Ferretti, told 12 News last fall. “He had a big, big heart and was an amazing dad.”

The 43-year-old, who was born in Texas to Swiss and Italian immigrants, had just moved into a room in Newport and was working at a local restaurant prior to his death.

Machado explained that he went to Newport to meet up with a woman he’d met just days before in Providence.

“We rode around for a bit … and then she said, ‘Oh we have to stop at my friend’s house for a minute. I have to talk to him about something,'” Machado recalled. “She didn’t tell me about what and I didn’t really ask.”

See more at wpri.com.

How do you think Pleasant Street can be improved?

That’s the question the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District will be asking of Fall River residents at a listening session set for Thursday, June 11.

The meeting will be held at Government Center from 5 to 7 p.m.; the drop-in event is intended for SRPEDD to hear from the public about how they feel Pleasant Street can be improved in terms of transportation and land use.

In April, SRPEDD announced it was conducting a study of the Pleasant Street corridor from Troy Street to Eastern Avenue, with the goal of improving “travel experience,” especially “traffic and pedestrian safety,” according to a release. The listening session is part of that study.

See more at heraldnews.com.

The town’s Health Director Jonathan Abreu has given the Venus de Milo restaurant and banquet hall a gold star of approval as of an unannounced inspection on June 7. 

Venus's third-generation owner Monte Ferris Jr. and Abreu listed mutual support and an acknowledgment of their respective trades in a joint statement that read, "We look forward to continuing a highly collaborative relationship ... to bring high-quality food with the highest level of food safety possible to [a] beloved clientele and community at large."

In the statement, Ferris advocated for Abreu and the health board, saying, "Their burden is heavy, the work is not easy, and the mandate is extremely important, which we ... always will recognize," pointing to the 70-year working relationship the venue has shared with the Board of Health.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank was remembered yesterday during a memorial service at Faneuil Hall in Boston. 

He was 86-years-old when he died on May 19th, in Ogunquit, Maine. 

Frank was elected to Congress in 1980, and retired in 2013.  Speakers at the service included Massachusetts Congressmen Jim McGovern and Richard Neal, Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.  

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is signing the World Cup alcohol bill. 

The bill officially allows cities and towns extend alcohol service until 3:00 a.m. during the tournament.  It will also allow designated public drinking districts. 

The changes come ahead of World Cup matches in Foxborough and run through July.

All three Massachusetts governor candidates are not releasing their tax returns. 

The Boston Globe reports Governor Maura Healey and Republican challengers Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve declined requests for five years of returns. 

While state law does not require candidates to release the documents, this comes after all three have promised transparency in their campaign. 

The tax returns can provide insight into the money they have available to shape their ability to get their message out to voters.

A judge is denying former state trooper Michael Proctor's bid to delay his deposition. 

On Friday, Proctor submitted the emergency request to postpone the deposition in the wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read. 

The lawsuit is being brought by the family of Boston police officer John O'Keefe against Read and several other parties. 

The judge denied Proctor's request to delay, saying that Proctor failed to provide sufficient reason for the delay.  Plymouth Superior Court Judge Mark Gildea criticized both the timing of the request and the evidence submitted by Proctor's attorneys.

The driver accused of causing the crash that killed a motorcyclist in Raynham last week faced a judge on Monday.

Jacob Larsen, 22, of Avon, was arraigned in Taunton District Court on charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, a marked lane violation, and failure to yield at an intersection.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Larsen hit 52-year-old Scott Piche of New Bedford with his car at the intersection of South Street East and Hill Street in Raynham on Friday, June 5. Piche was taken to Morton Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The DA’s office said Larsen remained at the scene of the crash, where police learned he had been driving with a suspended license after a previous OUI arrest.

See more at wpri.com.

The faint sounding of passing train horns was audible as mayors and other officials from Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton gathered to take stock of how South Coast Rail has changed the region in its first year — and learn how to capitalize on it.

Bridgewater State University on Tuesday, June 2, hosted a year-in-review event featuring speakers from across the region, including MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, who spoke about where South Coast Rail came from and where it’s going.

“What we’ve seen is transportation is bi-directional — it’s not the old way of just going into Boston and coming out,” Eng told officials.

Eng has touted "regional rail" as the MBTA’s future, a model built on fast, cheap and frequent train service between cities along the line, not just to Boston. Mayors of the SouthCoast’s four Gateway Cities spoke about how working together with that kind of rail service can benefit the region in terms of jobs, housing, development, education and more.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts officials are asking the public to help spot signs of human trafficking ahead of World Cup matches. 

Public safety leaders and victim advocates announced awareness campaigns and other safety plans as large crowds prepare to come to the region. 

Officials said workers in hotels, restaurants, transit hubs and other crowded areas are being trained to recognize possible trafficking. 

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll announced 390-thousand dollars in grants for anti-trafficking work. 

The FBI says there is no are credible threats as of now, but security will be heightened around watch parties, fan festivals and games in Foxborough.

Ex-State Trooper Michael Proctor is seeking a last-minute delay in the wrongful death lawsuit against Karen Read. 

On Friday, Proctor's lawyers requested an emergency order to delay a deposition in the lawsuit.  Proctor is scheduled to be deposed by Read's lawyers today. 

Read is fighting the wrongful death lawsuit, which was filed by the family of her deceased boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. 

Last year, a jury acquitted Read of a second-degree murder charge she was facing over the death of O'Keefe

An Avon man involved in a fatal crash in Raynham is now facing charges, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

The crash Friday night claimed the life of a motorcyclist from New Bedford, identified on Sunday as 52-year-old Scott Piche.

Police said Piche was riding down South Street East when he was hit by an SUV at the intersection with Hill Street.

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament has announced its 2026 performers, with one big name closing out the first night of the event: Sugar Ray.

The band behind ’90s hits like “Fly” and “Every Morning” will perform from 10 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, the Madeira Club revealed via social media.

The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is the largest Portuguese feast in the world and brings tens of thousands of people to New Bedford’s Madeira Field each year.

This year’s feast begins July 30 and will end on Sunday, Aug. 2. Admission is free for all ages, though no one under the age of 21 will be allowed to enter the Feast grounds after 8 p.m.

See more at wpri.com.

Board of Health and Health Director Jonathan Abreu say they were justified in serving the Venus de Milo restaurant and banquet facility the suspension orders that threatened to shutter its doors. 

“Myself and the entire Board of Health take our role in protecting the public very seriously and will continue to enforce corrective actions as needed," Abreu wrote to the Herald News in a June 4 email responding to the newspaper's interview Venus de Milo owner Monte Ferris Jr.

The two sides have been in a public debate about the health and food standards at the restaurant after the town issued a cease-and-desist order May 19 ordering the business to stop serving food immediately. That order was put on hold by a temporary restraining order from Bristol County Superior Court. The cease-and-desist was a follow up action by the board to a 30-day suspension of the Venus de Milo's food establishment license issued on May 14, and an earlier March 2026 suspension, neither of which closed the restaurant.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Durfee High School cosmetology student Maiah Torres has arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, to represent Durfee and Massachusetts at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, according to a community announcement.

Torres earned the right to compete on the national stage after winning the Massachusetts SkillsUSA Gold Medal in Cosmetology and being recognized as the top cosmetology student in the state. At the national conference, Torres will face a two-day competition totaling 12 hours of hands-on and written assessments against student stylists from across the country.

Competitors must also complete a 100-question written exam covering professional cosmetology knowledge and industry standards.

Torres was recently honored with Durfee’s CTE Director’s Award during the school’s CTE Cords and Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes a student who demonstrates excellence in career and technical education, leadership and service.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Fans heading to World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium are getting a reminder about what they cannot bring inside. 

The Boston Globe reports refillable water bottles, outside food and drinks, strollers, umbrellas, noisemakers and certain camera equipment are banned.  The stadium will only allow approved clear bags and small wallets. 

Gillette Stadium will be called Boston Stadium during the tournament and will open three hours before kickoff.  The first of seven World Cup matches there is set for June 13th.

A Nantucket resident says she offered laxative-laced brownies to the Nantucket School Committee. 

The Boston Globe reports Meghan Perry made the comment during public testimony over a proposed artificial turf project at Vito Capizzo Stadium. 

Perry appeared to be comparing the brownies to "non-detect" levels of P-FAS chemicals cited in the turf debate. 

Nantucket Current reports the brownies were thrown away and none were eaten. 

School Committee Chair Laura Gallagher Byrne said she does not intend to press criminal charges or escalate the matter further.

Karen Read has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, alleging misconduct and negligence in the investigation that led to her prosecution in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court argues that Read’s acquittal last June revealed “an embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot at the very core of both organizations.”

It alleges that the town and the police department were negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of officers and seeks damages for legal fees, lost income, emotional distress and reputational harm, among other claims.

The complaint reproduces dozens of text messages, recordings and other communications attributed to former state trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode. Among them are messages in which Proctor referred to Read as a “whack job” and wrote that he hoped she would kill herself. The lawsuit also cites messages that it says included use of the n-word and, in one instance, a comment by Proctor that “Hitler was really on to something.”

Read’s lawyers argue that those materials show both men were unfit to participate in the investigation and that their conduct reflected broader failures in oversight by state and local law enforcement.

See more at wpri.com.

An investigation is underway into a fire that destroyed a Bristol apartment building Thursday evening.

Bristol Fire Chief Michael DeMello told 12 News firefighters rushed to the Lincoln Avenue building after receiving reports of smoke showing from a porch.

DeMello said the firefighters arrived to flames shooting from each of the three floors and smoke pouring from the roof.

“It’s a pretty sturbborn fire,” DeMello explained. “It’s an old building and a big building, so once it got into the walls, the chase was on.”

DeMello said the fire spread into the “nooks and crannies” of the home, making it difficult for firefighters to get to the flames.

It took firefighters roughly two hours to knock the bulk of the fire down, according to DeMello.

DeMello said everyone who was home at the time was able to escape. He added that one tenant suffered minor injuries and was brought to the hospital for treatment.

It’s unclear if the building, which DeMello said consists of between eight and 10 apartments, is a total loss.

The cause of the fire also remains unknown at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

A section of Mill Street in New Bedford was shut down Thursday morning as police investigated a deadly incident.

In a Facebook post, police said they responded to a “serious accident” and advised drivers to seek alternate routes if possible. A 12 News crew at the scene saw police tape and a tent set up near the intersection with Pleasant Street, and the medical examiner was also called to the scene.

Rporterdly the accident involved a pedestrian and a tractor-trailer.

At this time, the victim’s identity and what led up to the crash remain unclear.

See more at wpri.com.

“We haven’t been closed for a minute,” Monte Ferris Jr., owner and operator of the Venus de Milo restaurant and banquet hall, said in his office on Tuesday, June 2. 

The iconic facility at 75 GAR Highway has been a staple of proms, weddings, baptisms and other family functions for generations. But Ferris said recent issues with the town Board of Health over now-rescinded orders, and public stigma, have put the business at risk.

"The financial loss is significant," Ferris said. "This has caused an emotional loss. It's a short-term hit to our reputation. Thankfully now it's cured, but a short-term hit to our reputation that we didn't deserve."

See more at heraldnews.com.

An FBI team searched the area around Route 88 in Westport on Wednesday, June 3, as part of “an ongoing, multi-jurisdictional investigation,” a spokesperson for the FBI said.

“We are searching for specific evidence and there is no threat to public safety,” said FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera. 

She could not comment on the nature of the evidence being searched for.

Westport Police said as of 4:30 p.m. there were no road closures on Route 88, and that investigators were no longer on scene.

The investigation comes nearly two years after an investigation took place on Route 88 in Westport. It is unknown if the operations are connected.

The FBI would not comment on whether the investigation would continue in upcoming days, saying the investigation is “an ongoing matter” and that it could not release further details.

See more at heraldnews.com.