According to CBS 12 in Providence, Blue Harvest Fisheries will soon shut down its waterfront fish processing plant in New Bedford. The groundfish processing plant will officially close in May and will lead to  all 64 employees who work there being laid off at that time. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell expressed frustration with the decision, stating that he’s primarily concerned about closure’s impact “on the families of the affected workers.” and is  in communication with Blue Harvest and is urging them to coordinate with MassHire Greater New Bedford and the Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Blue Harvest said it will be pivoting its focus to constructing and acquiring the modern, up-to-date fleet it needs

Blue Harvest employs over 400 people in total.

Two people were arrested after detectives found drugs and a “cache of weapons” inside a New Bedford home over the weekend. According to CBS 12 in Providence, detectives searched the Harwich Street home Sunday in connection with an ongoing investigation where officers found over 40 grams of crack cocaine, more than three pounds of marijuana, numerous suboxone strips alongside $800 in cash.A continued search led detectives to find a stockpile of weapons, including four handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, hundreds of rounds of ammunition as well as a stun gun and a bulletproof vest. A 50 year old Leroy Mosley and 45 year old Jill Martin,were taken into custody following the search as both are being charged with trafficking cocaine in excess of 36 grams, possessing illegal firearms and ammunition and possession of a large capacity firearm.

28 year old Cheri Jardin, wasn’t home when the raid took place, although police said he will be facing charges.

According to CBS 12 in Providence, police arrested a 19-year-old man earlier this week after he took off running from a traffic stop. Shortly after officers pulled a vehicle over Monday night near Spring Street where a masked passenger got out of the car and started running. The suspect entered a nearby parking lot before tossing what appeared to be a firearm over a nearby fence. Luis Garcia, was taken into custody following a brief struggle. Garcia had 29 individually wrapped baggies of crack cocaine on him, and the firearm he tossed over the fence was a loaded pistol. Police also located 29 grams of marijuana on him and more than $400 in cash. Garcia has been arrested and released on bail twice last year, once for a similar incident.

Garcia is now being charged with trafficking in excess of 18 grams of cocaine, trespassing, carrying a loaded firearm, carrying ammunition and a high-capacity feeding device while committing a felony.

According to ABC 6 in Providence, a bomb threat Thursday was made to the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. The staff of the vocational school discovered a bomb threat Thursday night and called police as NBPD sent K9 dogs trained to detect explosive materials and were called to the scene to conduct a search of the school but later discovered no dangerous items were found. The school sent out a message to parents advising them of the situation as there has been no further information regarding a suspect  immediately available.

According to the digital edition of the Fall River Herald, the Bank Street Armory in Fall River has a local developer interested defined by a backgrounD of transforming old city buildings for redevelopment. The principal of development company Main Street Projects, Alan Macomber was the only entity to respond by a March 17 deadline to a request for proposals by the city to redevelop the armory. Macomber recently completed a $21 million redevelopment of the former Bradford Durfee Textile School on Durfee Street that once stood as campuses of Bristol Community College and Southeastern Massachusetts University before becoming the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

According to CBS 12 in Providence, DATTCO announced it will stop offering its New Bedford to Boston bus service next month.The decision was made based on ongoing financial struggles as the service will officially stop running on April 16. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said he was “troubled” by the decision but says the city is now working with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to rectify the situation.

According to CBS 12 in Providence, Police have arrested a New Bedford man accused of throwing a woman into a campfire Monday night. The 45 year old Robert McWilliams, has been charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, intimidation of a witness and assault with intent to kill after officers were called to Long Road Monday night shortly after receiving a report of a suspicious person only to arrive to find a woman suffering from burns to her upper body. The woman told the officers McWilliams had attacked her in the woods and threw her into the campfire. The woman was transported to the hospital, with the severity of her injuries unknown at this time.

Officers later found McWilliams in the woods and arrested him without incident.

The Somerset Board of Slectmen will meet Friday  Afternoon at 5:30 in a 30 minute Executive Session in the Somerset Town Hall with Town Administrator Mark Ulluchi in Somerset Town Hall, before the session moves to the Somerset Public Library. 

Its possible that the 3 Somerset Selectmen could vote to improve a contract amendment with Ulluchi, while the trio will also discuss public school budgets in Somerset for K-8 and the Somerset Berkley Regional School District. 

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) today announced it approved reductions in electric basic service rates for Massachusetts Electric Company and Nantucket Electric Company, each d/b/a National Grid electric customers.

On average, the decreases will result in a monthly bill decrease of about 40 percent for a typical residential customer. National Grid serves approximately 1.39 million electric distribution customers.

Beginning with usage after May 1, 2023, customers on the company’s basic service rate can expect lower electric bills. 

Bristol Community College and Elms College agreement creates a seamless path to a bachelor's degree in biology and biotechnology

Bristol Community College and Elms College, in Chicopee, Mass., have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), creating more seamless paths for Bristol students to complete their bachelor’s degrees in biology or biotechnology. 

The agreement saves students time and money by guaranteeing that students who earn an  Associate in Science in Life Sciences at Bristol will enter the Bachelor of Science in biology or biotechnology programs at Elms College with at least 60 accepted transfer credits and third-year status.

The programs are open to all Bristol transfer students who have completed their associate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. 

“This cost-saving pathway will combine the academic support and transfer resources of both institutions, simplifying the transition to a bachelor's degree program, while aiding student success,” said Dr. Laura L. Douglas, President, Bristol Community College. “This collaboration is also a wonderful extension of Bristol Community College and Elms College’s shared mission of expanding access to higher education.” 

“We are delighted to partner with Bristol Community College to offer students a seamless and flexible path to continue their education at Elms College and at the same time bring more skilled workers in the life sciences to the region,” said Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA, President, Elms College. 

In addition to guaranteed admission and seamless transition to Elms College, Bristol students will also benefit from additional offerings including: 

•    Collaborative academic advising and transfer counseling from Bristol Community College and Elms College, to aid success.
  
•    Enrollment in Elms College’s Master of Biotechnology or Biomedical Sciences programs for interested students who successfully complete the Bachelor of Science in biology or biotechnology program with a grade point average of 3.5.

•    Eligibility for Elms College financial aid and housing consideration as appropriate. 
For more information about the program please contact Bristol Community College’s Transfer Services, by calling 774.357.2234, or emailing transfer@bristolcc.edu. 

According to ABC 6, the New Bedford Police Department seized two guns in two separate cases this past weekend. On March 18 detectives said they searched the home of 41-year-old Paul Silva who was the target of an active investigation where they located 30 grams of crack cocaine, nearly 3 grams of powder cocaine and one handgun. Silva and another man in the house, Nicholas Taft were both charged with trafficking cocaine and unlawful possession of a gun and ammunition.

The next day, police received a tip about a juvenile with a gun where responding officers found a juvenile with a pistol stolen from Maine. The juvenile initially violently resisted arrest but was eventually taken into custody. This was the second time they were arrested with a gun, their first case was thrown out by a judge in district court.

A 22-year-old Attleboro man has been sentenced for raping and molesting his pre-teen neighbor in 2019. According to ABC 6, Kevin Cardona pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court on March 3 to indictments on rape of a child by force and indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14. Documentation states the incident occurred during a Super Bowl party in February of 2019 at the victim’s home in Attleboro when he entered the girl’s bedroom where he assaulted her while covering her mouth. The victim reported the incident to her therapist the next day who then got Attleboro police involved. Records show DNA found that matched that of Cardona.

Cardona was sentenced to serve three to five years in state prison, followed by five years of supervised probation.

The ACLU of Rhode Island released a report today detailing the significant number of out-of-school suspensions meted out each year to Rhode Island public school elementary school students, including kindergartners, often for such minor offenses as “disrespect.” The report also makes plain the “discriminatory and harmful suspension patterns” in the out-of-school suspension rates for students, adversely affecting Black, multi-racial and Hispanic students, and students with disabilities.

The report examined suspension data for the three years preceding the Covid-19 pandemic — 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019. The disparate results were consistent: Every year that was studied mirrored results that had been tracked over a period of two decades, showing “severe” suspension disparities of students of color and students with disabilities across all grades. 

A breakdown of out-of-school suspension data by school district is provided in Appendices A and B of the report, beginning on page 25. 

Highlights from the report include, but are not limited to, the following:

•    In the 2018-2019 school year, there were 116 out-of-school suspensions of kindergartners and first graders, and about a third of those suspensions were for subjective and minor offenses such as “disrespect” and “insubordination.” There were more than 1,400 suspensions of K-5 students that year, and that made up almost 15% of all the suspensions issued that year for all grades.

•    At their lowest rates across these three school years, Black and multi-racial students statewide experienced out-of-school suspensions at a rate more than one-and-a-half times higher than would be expected for their population, and Hispanic students were over-suspended at a rate 1.3 times that which would be expected for their population. Comparatively, the highest rate of suspension that white students experienced was still much less than what would be expected for their school population. 

•    Across each school year, students with disabilities were at least two-and-a-half times as likely to be given an out-of-school suspension as students without a disability. 

•    These significantly disproportionate rates of suspension of students of color and students with disabilities have been consistent for more than 15 years.

In order to address these disparities, the ACLU report urges, among other recommendations, legislation to significantly curb the ability of schools to issue out-of-school suspensions to K-5 students, and to hold school districts more accountable in analyzing suspension data and responding to any disparities on the basis of race or disability that their data may show.

The report also suggests that school districts are ignoring a 2016 law that was designed to limit the use of out-of-school suspensions to only serious acts of misconduct. Instead, the report shows students are inordinately suspended for minor and subjective types of misconduct such as “insubordination” or “disrespect.”

ACLU of Rhode Island Policy Associate Hannah Stern said today: “In order to truly provide an equitable, uplifting, and educationally enriching school environment for all students in our state, we must make sure that no students are being inappropriately removed and excluded from the classroom.

Normal adolescent misbehaviors or social-emotional needs should not be met with punishment. Rather, we must ensure that students have appropriate supports, and that discriminatory practices are being actively eradicated from schools.”

Legislation that incorporates some of the report’s recommendations is expected to be heard at the State House in the next week or two.

A copy of the report can be found here. 

STATE HOUSE — Building on the success of last year’s legislation to curb the theft of catalytic converters, Rep. Joseph J. Solomon Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Warwick) has introduced two bills that would increase the penalties for those thefts, and create an interstate compact to hamper thieves.

Last session, the General Assembly enacted Representative Solomon’s law (2022-H 7751B) that requires that purchasers of a catalytic converter, except for business-to-business transactions, obtain either the vehicle registration or the vehicle identification number from the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed and provide upon request, the information to a law enforcement agency.

“We’ve given businesses the opportunity to do the right thing,” said Representative Solomon. “Now we’re making it tougher and holding them more accountable. This is a serious issue that’s affecting everybody. When it happens to poor people or disabled people, they can hardly afford to replace them.”

The first bill (2023-H 5841) would mandate a bill of sale, eliminate cash payments and require the attorney general to suspend the license of any violator of the law. Additionally, the legislation would change the requirement for every person licensed under this chapter to retain a copy of the report form for a period of one year to three years from the date of the sale. Also, a conviction under this law would be a felony subject to fine and imprisonment.

The second bill (2023-H 5842) would establish an interstate compact that would regulate the purchase and sale of catalytic converters specifically and precious metals generally with the goal of preventing the proliferation of stolen converters. It would set licensing and reporting requirements for each sale or purchase of converters.

“I think the time has come for an interstate compact because this is truly a nationwide issue,” said Representative Solomon. “Not only are thefts picking up locally, such as the FBI raid on a Providence scrap metal business, but we hear constant news reports about catalytic converter thefts all over the country. Even the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile fell victim to thieves last month.”

Testimony in favor of the legislation submitted by the National Insurance Crime Bureau to the House Committee on Corporations said, “Catalytic converter theft has skyrocketed in recent years in part due to the significant rise in the price of various precious metals, including rhodium, platinum, and palladium. All are used in the construction of catalytic converters.

Criminals are seizing the opportunity to profit off these increased prices by removing the catalytic converter from vehicles — in relatively easy fashion — and selling the stolen part on the black market. The component precious metals can be recycled into new products. Nationally, catalytic converter thefts more than quadrupled from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020. Thefts jumped dramatically yet again to over 52,000 in 2021, an increase of 1,215% since 2019.”                                                   
 

One SouthCoast Chamber announces the launch of the statewide policy network, the Massachusetts Chambers of Commerce Policy Network (the “Chambers Policy Network”).

The Chambers Policy Network, led by the Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of large regional chambers of commerce, plans to use its collective statewide voice to advocate for policy and business issues that will strengthen the quality of life and economy in the Commonwealth.

The Chambers Policy Network is designed to leverage the existing impact and on-the-ground local knowledge of these local Chambers to provide solutions to policy challenges that hinder the success and legacy of residents, employees, and businesses.  Our goal is a growing statewide economy that works for all and strengthens our ability to retain talent and businesses in Massachusetts. 

The Chambers Policy Network will focus on the issues that directly tie to the region’s future: statewide competitiveness, taxes and revenue, transportation, broadband access, talent development and retention, housing, climate change, higher education, and the ease of doing business. Through this transformative and collaborative network, the immense value of businesses, their employees, and their Chambers are leveraged to advance statewide equity and economic opportunity.

“The launch of the Chambers Policy Network is the region’s first formal policy advocacy network of Chambers dedicated to solving the complex issues that our cities and entire state face. By unlocking the unique strengths of Chambers, we will be able to strategize and advance solutions to policy challenges. From housing to transportation, taxes, and business climate and more – all of these are interconnected and statewide issues that can help make Massachusetts a place where workers and businesses can succeed,” said James E. Rooney, President & CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Mike O’Sullivan, CEO of One SouthCoast Chamber, said, “This is a new day for us on the South Coast. To be able to have the largest regional chambers band together over issues of importance for all of business in Massachusetts is a game changer. We can still engage on issues of importance to the region as a chamber and take advantage of the power of this new network to support common goals.”

The Chamber Policy Network will initially consist of ten of the largest Chambers from across the entire state as founding members with plans to expand to include other Chambers in 2024. 

  MA Chambers Policy Network Founding Members

James E. Rooney, President & CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Tim Murray, President & CEO, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
Diana Szynal, President, Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce
Rick Sullivan, President & CEO, Western MA Economic Development Council
Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Peter Forman, President & CEO, South Shore Chamber of Commerce
Karen Andreas, President & CEO, North Shore Chamber of Commerce
Greg Reibman, President Charles River Regional Chamber
Michael O’Sullivan Co-CEO, One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce
Jonathan Butler, President & CEO, 1Berkshire

Included in its plans are annual sharing of regional chamber policy priorities and yearly Chamber Policy Network visits to Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill to promote its agenda.

One SouthCoast Chamber is one of the largest business organizations in the Commonwealth with more than 1250 business members, representing thousands of employees. With offices in Fall River and New Bedford, the Chamber is actively engaged in supporting member businesses in connectivity, business education, business growth and advocacy. 

Providence College is in the market for a new Men's Head Basketball Coach, after now former Coach Ed Cooley put his house up for sale Monday Morning, while Google's listing for Georgetown Basketball listed Cooley as the head coach by mid afternoon Monday. 

While Cooley will remain in the Big East, he replaces former Georgetown Center Patrick Ewing, who was relieved of his duties prior to the start of the NCAA Men's Division One National Championship Basketball Tournament. 

The Red Sox made it official prior to the weekend that Corey Kluber would get the Opening Day Start in Fenway Park versus Baltimore on Thursday, March 30. 

Kluber is a former American League Cy Young Award Winner who was signed as a free agent over the winter. 

The Red Sox have about 10 days left before they leave camp and head north with a 26-man roster and a host of questions to answer as to how the 2023 season could lead to a post season for the Red Sox. 

This Weekend on 95.9 and 1480 WSAR, the Red Sox will meet the Orioles in Florida Saturday afternoon starting at 1, with Fox Sports Radio providing the lead in at 6 to the Celtics and Jazz in Utah, with coverage at 8:30pm and a tip just after 9.

Sunday on WSAR, The Red Sox will meet the Phillies with coverage on the  Red Sox Radio Network at 1pm.

The #11 Seed Providence College saw its season end last night, losing to #6 Kentiucky in East Region, by a final of 61-53.

Still to be decided is the future of Men's Head Baskebtall Coach Ed Cooley, who is a target for Georgetown after Patrick Ewing was dismissed as their head coach prior to the start of the NCAA Men's Division One Basketball National Championship Tournament; according to the digital edition of the Providence Journal.

Cooley has spent 12 seasons in Providence and has taken the men's team to the Sweet 16 in past tournaments; he has indicated he would isten if Georgetown wished to make an offer. 

DARTMOUTH – It’s budget season on Beacon Hill, and Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux is asking lawmakers to move forward on exploring his idea of closing the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford.

Sheriff Heroux this week sent letters to members of the local legislative delegation to request $300,000 for a feasibility study on closing Ash Street and moving inmates to a renovated housing unit inside the House of Corrections in Dartmouth.

“I urge you to please coordinate with the delegation to get a $300,000 line item in the budget to fund the first step in this process, a feasibility study by the state Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM),” Sheriff Heroux wrote to the delegation members. “This study will guide the rest of the proposal and show us whether it is feasible to move forward.”

The Ash Street Jail opened in 1888 with parts of site construction dating back to the 1830s. While clean, safe and secure, it does not fit the needs of a modern corrections system focused on inmate rehabilitation while being responsible with taxpayers’ money.

The Ash Street Jail costs more than $5 million a year to operate, and is about 200,000 square feet, with outdated classrooms and limited space for treatment programs. The empty housing unit in Dartmouth he seeks to renovate into single cells and move Ash Street Jail inmates to, the GC unit, is 9,000 square feet and located near the main hubs of education and substance abuse programming.

“First and most importantly, the move would benefit the inmates by increasing rehabilitation, education, substance abuse and vocational training opportunities,” Sheriff Heroux said. “Also, the move would save taxpayers thousands every year in utility, maintenance and transportation costs by going from a 200,000-square-foot facility at Ash Street to a more-modern 9,000-square-foot, climate controlled housing unit in Dartmouth. Closing Ash Street and moving the operation to Dartmouth will quickly pay for itself.”

Sheriff Heroux also invited lawmakers who could not attend the previous tour and information session to come and visit the correctional facilities to learn more about the project and ask questions.

Asleep At the Wheel: Drivers Unaware of How Drowsy They Really Are  

New AAA Research Shows Drowsy Drivers Often Fail to Take Breaks 

Westwood, MA- It's something that most drivers experience but may not realize until it’s too late – feeling drowsy – which plays an underappreciated role in traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths.

Although underreported in government statistics, previous research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has estimated that 16% to 21% of all police-reported fatal vehicle crashes likely involve drowsy driving.

And now, new Foundation research finds that drivers may underestimate their drowsiness, leading them to stay behind the wheel instead of stopping for a much-needed break.   

"Being drowsy while driving is a dangerous form of impairment, and it does not resolve or improve with continued driving," said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. "Our goal is to help drivers learn to heed the early warning signs of drowsiness so they can stop, rest, and then continue their journey as safely as possible."

Drowsiness refers to a state of increased tendency to fall asleep. Beyond the danger of falling asleep at the wheel, drowsiness also impairs drivers by reducing their alertness. Crashes caused by drowsy driving tend to be severe because the driver may not attempt to brake or swerve to avoid a collision, so the resulting impact occurs at a high rate of speed. A drowsy driver may also be startled and lose control of the vehicle. 

Researchers designed a 150-mile simulated nighttime highway driving experiment for the study. Every 20 miles, there was a simulated "rest area" at which participants could stop, leave the driving simulator, walk around, nap, drink coffee, or eat a snack. A monetary incentive encouraged drivers to complete the drive as quickly as possible while incentivizing them to avoid crashing. Researchers used a brief survey to gauge how drowsy drivers felt and measured the percentage of time their eyes were closed to gauge sleepiness.

Key Findings
Levels of drowsiness generally increased throughout the simulated highway driving experiment. Participants were usually aware that they were drowsy, but their perceptions of the extent of their sleepiness were not always accurate and affected decision-making.
•    When drivers rated their level of drowsiness as low, 75% of them were, in fact, moderately or severely drowsy. 
•    Even when drivers’ eyes were closed for 15 seconds or longer over a one-minute window— indicative of severe drowsiness—one in four still rated their drowsiness as low.
•    Drivers very rarely took breaks unless they perceived that they were very drowsy. 
•    Even when drivers recognized they were extremely drowsy, they still declined 75% of their opportunities to take breaks and kept driving.

The results demonstrate a need to help drivers recognize how drowsy they are. Knowing the warning signs of drowsiness can help drivers avoid dozing off behind the wheel. The most common symptoms include:
•    Having trouble keeping your eyes open
•    Drifting from your lane
•    Not remembering the last few miles driven

While the signs of drowsiness should never be ignored, drivers must not wait for their bodies to sound the alarm. They should prioritize sleeping at least seven hours before hitting the road.
AAA recommends that drivers:
•    Travel at times of the day when they are normally awake
•    Avoid heavy foods
•    Avoid medications that cause drowsiness or other impairment
For longer trips, drivers should:
•    Schedule a break every two hours or every 100 miles
•    Travel with an alert passenger and take turns driving
•    Do not underestimate the power of a quick nap. Pulling into a rest stop and taking a quick catnap — at least 20 minutes and no more than 30 minutes of sleep– can help to keep you alert on the road.
    AAA supports the development of vehicle technology that can passively monitor drivers for impairment and prevent or limit vehicle operation when needed.  The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires NHTSA to create testing standards for this kind of technology that can detect driver impairment, including that caused by drowsiness, medical impairment, or drugs, including alcohol.
 

The Patriots announced today that they have signed tackle Calvin Anderson and released quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Mar 16, 2023 at 05:17 PM

New England Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that they have signed T Calvin Anderson as an unrestricted free agent from the Denver Broncos. Terms of the contract were not announced. In addition, the Patriots announced that they have released QB Brian Hoyer.

Anderson, 26, is a veteran of four NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos (2019-22). The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with New England on May 2, 2019 out of Texas but was released on May 13 and claimed off waivers by the New York Jets. After beginning his rookie season on the Jets practice squad, Anderson was signed by Denver to the 53-man roster on Oct. 1, 2019. Overall, he has played in 41 regular season games with 12 starts, one at right tackle and 11 at left tackle. Last season, Anderson played in 14 games with seven starts at left tackle for Denver.

Hoyer, 37, had three different stints with New England after originally joining the team as a rookie free agent out of Michigan State in 2009. He played with New England through the 2011 season and again for part of the 2017 season and all of the 2018 season, before returning to the Patriots in 2020.

The 6-foot-2, 216-pounder is a veteran of 14 NFL seasons and has spent time with Arizona (2012), Pittsburgh (2012), Cleveland (2013-14), Houston (2015), Chicago (2016), San Francisco (2017) and Indianapolis (2019), in addition to the Patriots.

Overall, Hoyer has played in 76 regular-season games with 40 starts and has completed 902-of-1,518 passes for 10,668 yards with 53 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He has also played in two postseason contests with one start and completed 15-of-34 pass attempts with no touchdowns and four interceptions. Hoyer has made 30 appearances with New England in the regular season with two starts and has completed 61-of-92 pass attempts for 729 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Last season, Hoyer played and started at Green Bay on Oct. 2 but was injured early in the game and finished the year on injured reserve. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 37 yards prior to suffering his injury.

This first appeared on Patriots.com

Report: Patriots add tight end Mike Gesicki
According to reports, the Patriots are adding a move tight end to their roster.

Mike Dussault
Patriots.com Writer

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Patriots are signing former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. The team had a roster need at the position after trading Jonnu Smith to the Falcons and Gesicki should form a nice pairing with veteran Hunter Henry, providing the offense with an athletic player to be utilized by offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.

After four productive seasons with the Dolphins, including a breakout 2021 in which he had 73 catches for 780 yards, the arrival of head coach Mike McDaniel signaled a reduced workload for Gesicki. He started just one game and had just one touchdown catch on 32 receptions, less than half of his previous year's production while his snap totals were cut in half as well.

Gesicki is still only 27 years old and with 18 career touchdowns offers some intriguing red zone potential. Even in a draft class loaded with promising tight end prospects, the addition of Gesicki should provide an immediate impact. Bill O'Brien constructed a two-tight-end offense in the early 2010's that set records and now he'll have two veteran tight ends to employ.

Gesicki was recruited to Penn State by O'Brien before being drafted in the second round of 2018's draft, so there's already an existing familiarity between the two.

With reported offensive additions of Juju Smith-Schuster, James Robinson and now Gesicki, the Patriots have been remaking their offense in key playmaker positions while padding their depth along the offensive line and retaining their own players on 

According to ABC 6 in Providence, Massachusetts State Police rescued two stranded hikers in the Mount Washington State Forest during an overnight snowstorm.Police said the hours-long rescue began just before 8:00 p-m. on Tuesday when a 9-1-1 call from one of the hikers detailed their situation who said him and his friend were hiking on the Alander Trail in the state forest near the New York and Connecticut state lines when the winter weather began to worsen updating officers that the snow was covering the trail markers and had filled in their tracks so they could not retrace their steps back down the mountain. The search party stated the snow was roughly two feet deep and the snowmobiles couldn’t clear the trails. Finally at 2:30 a.m. the search team located the two hikers who were suffering from fatigue and cold temperatures but were not injured. More than two hours later, the search team and the hikers made it out of the forest and reached the DCR headquarters where the two men were taken to a nearby hospital.

 A New Bedford man was arrested for an alleged assault at a Walmart in Fairhaven. According to CBS 12 in Providence, Police responded to a report of a fight just after 11 p-m. Tuesday. The 22 year old Brandin Gonsalves, is accused of taking out a gun during the fight and striking the victim with it. Police found three rounds of ammunition and a loaded magazine with additional rounds of ammunition on scene as it's unclear if any rounds were fired during the incident. Gonsalves is charged with assault with intent to kill, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession of ammunition without a license, and carrying a firearm without a license while the victim was treated at a local hospital and released.