Swansea Public Schools will welcome two new School Resource Officers this school year as Patrolman Christopher Ball and Patrolman Kyle Gaspar take on roles supporting safety, student engagement and school-based programs across the district.

The appointments were announced by Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Swansea Public Schools Superintendent Scott C. Holcomb, according to a community announcement.

Ball will primarily serve Joseph Case Jr. High School and Joseph Case High School. Gaspar will be primarily assigned to the district's elementary schools, including Joseph G. Luther School, Elizabeth S. Brown School, Gardner Elementary School and Mark G. Hoyle School.

District officials said both officers will be cross-trained to work in all Swansea schools.

As School Resource Officers, Ball and Gaspar will work alongside administrators and staff to help maintain safe learning environments and support school events. Their responsibilities will also include providing safety presentations and programs while building relationships with students and staff throughout the district.

Patrolmen Ball and Gaspar were selected through an interview process that included representatives from both the Swansea Police Department and Swansea Public Schools.

See more at heraldnews.com.

For the second time this summer, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office is facing criticism from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a detainee’s release.

Agents with ICE Boston arrested Heriton Da Silva Aredes, of Brazil, during “targeted operations” in Taunton on Aug. 6, according to a press release Wednesday.

Aredes had previously posted bail and was released from the Bristol County House of Corrections on July 25, following his arraignment on a pending charge of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle.

But ICE claims this was the third time Aredes, whom the agency describes as a “criminal illegal alien,” was released without notifying federal officials or honoring an immigration detainer.

According to ICE, Aredes has prior convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, using a motor vehicle without authority, refusal to identify himself while operating a vehicle, furnishing a false name, operating recklessly and refusing identification.

The agency said he was first deported from the United States on Oct. 14, 2008, pursuant to a final removal order issued that June, but later illegally reentered the country “on an unknown date at an unknown location.”

 It was a lively night in the New Bedford City Council Chambers Thursday as dozens of residents expressed their frustrations with the police department’s use of automated license plate readers.

The New Bedford Police Department put a temporary pause on its Flock camera system after an audit resulted in “internal investigations” and an officer being placed on paid administrative leave.

The council planned to address the city’s use of the controversial cameras, but residents became so rowdy that the issue was tabled and the rest of the meeting was suspended.

The disruption that ended the meeting occurred when councilman Brian Gomes voiced his opinions on the cameras.

“I’m a proponent of the cameras, but what I’m not a proponent of is the use of the cameras in a way that is unconstitutional and against people’s rights,” Gomes said. “You give me a guarantee that these cameras will not be messed with in unjustified ways, and I’m OK with it.”

Gomes was unable to continue speaking as the residents began loudly booing him, prompting New Bedford City Council President Ryan Pereira for a brief recess.

Hundreds of Lindsay Clancy supporters, many wearing pink with the words “Believe,” “She Needed Help” and “Peace For Lindsay,” gathered Thursday outside the courthouse where she is on trial in the killings of her three children.

Several of the 300 women, and a few men, said Clancy’s story resonated with them and that they wanted to raise awareness about how the mental health system treats women. Clancy’s lawyer does not dispute that she killed the children, but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill.

The MIAA is adding a Super Eight football tournament in 2027. 

The board approved the new postseason format in a 12-to-two vote on Wednesday. 

The top eight Division One and Two teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament without opt-outs.  Only eight teams from each remaining division will qualify, reducing the overall playoff field from 128 to 72. 

The shorter postseason will allow a ninth regular-season game while preserving Thanksgiving rivalries.

Testimony resumes today in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial.  Jurors were dismissed early on Wednesday after the Massachusetts judge said there was an "unforseen circumstance" he had to deal with, and would not discuss. 

Before court was dismissed, Clancy's psychiatrist took the witness stand and said Clancy has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, misses her children everyday and remains a suicide risk. 

Clancy is pleading not guilty to strangling her three young children in 2023, claiming she had postpartum psychosis.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee called a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the Washington Bridge project.

McKee, along with interim RIDOT Director Robert Rocchio and representatives from contractor Walsh Construction, released a timeline of the milestones they expect to hit between now and November 2028, when the newly rebuilt bridge is scheduled to reopen.

Rocchio said the rebuild is well underway, even if you can’t quite see it just yet. Wednesday was the first day that work was being done outside the water, according to him, and other work is happening off-site, including the fabrication of the steel beams.

“The contractor is working aggressively to complete the bridge as quickly as possible,” Rocchio said.

“Residents and commuters will be pleased to know that most of the work will be done off-alignment. That means we’ll build it without impacting local roads,” he added.

“Later in the project, there will be some brief traffic impacts, mostly overnight lane closures on the local roads under the bridge in Providence and East Providence.”

See more at wpri.com.

A psychologist says Lindsay Clancy reported hearing a male voice ordering her to kill her children. 

Paul Zeizel testified on Tuesday about evaluating Clancy after the killings.  Zeizel says Clancy described the voice during a phone call with her then-husband. 

The defense argues Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible.  Prosecutors contend she planned the killings and intended to die by suicide.

Police arrested three suspects accused of breaking into and rummaging through two parked cars in New Bedford Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to Summer Street around 4:30 a.m. after receiving a report of three suspects breaking into cars that were parked in the neighborhood.

Police said the officers spotted three males sitting on the porch of a residence on Summer Street near where the car breaks were reported.

The three males were taken into custody after officers reviewed security footage that showed them breaking into a parked car and opening the trunk. Officers also noticed a second car parked nearby that appeared to have been rummaged through, with items scattered across the interior and the glove compartment left open, according to police.

The three males, identified by police as an 18-year-old Brockton man, a 26-year-old Brockton man and a 16-year-old New Bedford boy, were taken into custody and each charged with two counts of breaking and entering into a depository.

See more at wpri.com.

The 86-year-old woman who was attacked by a family dog over the weekend has died from her injuries, according to authorities.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the woman, identified as Margaret Pacheco, died Monday.

The DA’s office noted that Pacheco also suffered from “significant medical issues” prior to the attack. Her cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.

First responders rushed to the family’s Oak Street home Saturday afternoon after receiving a report about an elderly woman with severe facial injuries.

The DA’s office said the woman, later determined to be Pacheco, had been mauled by the dog and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The dog, described as an Australian Shephard mix, was taken into custody by Dighton Animal Control.

The DA’s office explained that Pacheco lived with the dog and another family member at the home.

It’s unclear what caused the dog to attack Pacheco at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

A 23-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash in Wareham Monday evening, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz.

Cruz said officers were called to Charge Pond Road just before 7 p.m. after receiving reports of a serious motorcycle crash.

The motorcyclist, identified by Cruz as Cristian Hagopian, was rushed to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Investigators believe Hagopian had been riding alongside several other motorcyclists when he crashed into the woods near his home. None of the other motorcyclists were near Hagopian at the time of the crash, Cruz added.

See more at wpri.com.

A man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder in a gory attack at a Somerset hotel where a woman’s throat was slit.

Kyle Barboza, 43, of Fall River, appeared in Fall River District Court on Thursday, Aug. 13, to answer for charges stemming from a double stabbing on Aug. 1 at the Riverview Inn and Suites on Wilbur Avenue.

Barboza’s arraignment had been postponed multiple times due to recovery from injuries he allegedly suffered in the incident. He appeared in the dock with obvious facial injuries.

At the time of the attack, Barboza had already been facing charges of assault and battery in an attack on family members in Fall River in early July.

Judge Kevin Finnerty ordered him held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

According to Somerset police reports and court records, Somerset police arrived at the hotel shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 after being called by a clerk, who said a woman with a cloth around her neck told him there’d been a stabbing. Officers logged bloodstains throughout the front entrance and hotel lobby, and found bloody bed linens discarded outside one of the rooms.

Inside the room, which was spattered with blood, officers found a woman bleeding from the neck and two men on the floor, one sitting on the other’s chest, police said. Multiple knives were found in the room, including one with a serrated blade, its handle wrapped in black tape, police said.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Senator Ed Markey is widening his lead over Representative Seth Moulton. 

A UMass Amherst/WCVB poll of 445 primary voters gives Markey 60-percent and Moulton 32-percent.  Markey led 51-percent to 28-percent in polling last October. 

Pollsters say Markey supporters favor his progressive record, while Moulton supporters cite his younger age. 

The candidates will debate from 8 to 9 p.m. on Thursday ahead of the September 1st primary.

The defense is back to calling witnesses in the trial of the mother accused of murdering her three children in Massachusetts. 

Lawyers for Lindsay Clancy started calling her family members to the stand after the prosecution rested its case on Monday. 

Clancy's mother and sister testified about what they called Lindsay's unsettling behavior before she killed her kids in 2023. 

Clancy has admitted to the killings and is pleading not guilty to first-degree murder on the grounds that postpartum psychosis made her not criminally responsible.

There is a slight drop in the price of a gallon of gas in Massachusetts. 

The current average for regular is four-dollars-one-cent, that's down three-cents from a week ago. 

Triple A reported the national average is four-dollars-six-cents per gallon.

The city of Fall River will begin tearing down the former central police station on Bedford Street this week.

The Fall River Police Department announced Monday in a social media post that, beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Bedford Street will entirely close at Seabury Street traveling west, and Troy Street heading north will close at Pleasant Street.

Bedford Street is already closed between High and Rock streets, which is right in front of the 111-year-old building. Drivers and pedestrians are urged to use caution and encouraged to seek alternate routes.

“This is going to be a long and tedious process,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said.

Coogan said the closures will allow workers to bring in the machinery necessary to demolish the building.

The historic but blighted building is being torn down after years of sitting vacant. The Preservation Society of Fall River initially hoped to save the building, but Coogan said it is full of asbestos.

A juvenile is facing charges after at least 20 cars were entered over the weekend in Somerset, according to police.

Officers responded to Thelma Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday after a resident reported someone went into their car and took various items.

During a search of the neighborhood, officers found multiple vehicles had been entered and said the suspect appeared to be checking for unlocked doors. Officers also located stolen property dropped along driveways and streets near other vehicles.

Investigators determined three male suspects had been in the area about an hour earlier after speaking with neighbors and reviewing surveillance footage.

As the search neared the town line, Swansea police were called for assistance.

Police said three males were seen running away as officers approached. A juvenile who was attempting to hide was later located and arrested once police obtained evidence linking him to the crimes.

Through the investigation, police discovered between 20 and 25 vehicles had been entered overnight. Police said additional reports were filed Monday morning as residents awoke to find their cars had been “ransacked.”

“In all instances, the vehicles were not broken into or damaged by the suspects as they chose to only enter cars which they found to be unlocked,” the police department wrote in a social media post. “In some cases, police found money and car keys which were not taken by the teenage suspects.”

See more at wpri.com.

The Narrows Center for the Arts’ Take Me to the River festival is returning to the Fall River waterfront for its third year.

The free festival on Saturday, Aug. 22 will bring three bands and nine food trucks to the Thomas Norton City Pier on reconstructed Davol Street.

This year’s lineup consists of the Neal McCarthy Electric Band from New Bedford, Fantastic Cat from New York City and the Anders Osborne Band from New Orleans.

A free trolley service will ferry visitors to the city pier from the Narrows Center’s main parking lot on Anawan Street and the MBTA station lot on Davol Street.

Food will be available from Blount Clam Shack, Duke’s Chicken & Waffles, Bem Bom, The Book n’ Brew, Friskie Fries, Pit Stop Street Food, What’s Up Cupcake, BBQ Y Mas and Green Jar Cocina. Canned Heat Craft Beer Company and Party With Primo catering will serve alcoholic drinks.

“As I look out on this Route 79 project, I remember when we started this thing two years ago, the road was an absolute disaster, you couldn’t get through, we had all kinds of problems,” said Narrows Center Executive Director Patrick Norton at an Aug. 13 press conference ahead of the festival.

Now, the road reconstruction element of the Route 79/Davol Street Corridor project is complete.

“It really makes this destination one of the premier places in Fall River to hang out and see a show,” Norton said.

He said free admission allows people of every socioeconomic status to attend the festival.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Catholic leaders across Massachusetts are criticizing Governor Maura Healey's recently signed abortion bill.  The measure allows physicians to perform abortions after 24 weeks based on their personal judgment. 

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning called the law a grave offense against the sanctity and dignity of every person, while Massachusetts Citizens for Life says Healey's signature was politically motivated and compared the bill to human rights violations in China and North Korea. 

However, major healthcare providers back the change, saying the previous framework around abortion access didn't adequately meet all patients' needs.

A State Police investigator is detailing Lindsay Clancy's Google searches before the killings of her three children. 

According to police, Clancy googled psychosis symptoms, hallucinations and postpartum depression in the days before she killed her three children.  Her phone also showed searches related to suicide, bipolar disorder and psychiatric medications. 

Her defense says she suffered postpartum psychosis and heard a voice ordering her to kill the children and herself. 

Prosecutors maintain Clancy acted intentionally and testimony resumes on Monday.

A New Bedford man is facing a list of charges after leading police on a chase through the city on Monday.

Cameron Leite, 24, is accused of dragging one detective with his car and kicking another in the face while resisting arrest, according to police.

It all started around 6 p.m. when detectives saw a vehicle speeding down Purchase Street. Police said the driver (Leite) stopped in front of the Salvation Army and appeared to be arguing with people outside as the detectives approached.

The vehicle didn’t have a front license plate, police noted, and the driver ignored their commands to identify himself and get out of the vehicle. A detective grabbed his arm and tried to remove him, which is when he allegedly accelerated and dragged the detective about 30 feet before he fell to the pavement, suffering minor injuries.

Police said Leite then drove onto the sidewalk, nearly hitting four people sitting outside a soup kitchen as the detectives got into their cruiser and gave pursuit. The suspect sped north onto Route 18 and continued onto Acushnet Avenue where he collided with a cruiser at the Bates Street intersection, according to police.

The cruiser sustained significant damage, but Leite kept driving and entered a bank parking lot, where police said he hit another cruiser. Once he was eventually boxed in by more cruisers in the area of Hadley Street, he resisted arrest and kicked a detective in the face, police added.

See more at wpri.com.

A Falmouth man is facing several charges after allegedly leading police on a chase and grabbing an officer’s gun in Seekonk Thursday afternoon.

Officers were called to Central Avenue around 12:30 p.m. for reports of a crash involving a motorcycle. Police said the officers determined a motorcycle had rear-ended a sedan that was stopped in the middle of the roadway.

The motorcyclist, later identified as 19-year-old Nathaniel Cronin, was being evaluated in an ambulance, but took off once investigators learned he provided false information.

Officers eventually located Cronin near the intersection of Edwards Street and Fotch Avenue. Police said an altercation broke out in the middle of the road as the officers were trying to take Cronin into custody.

Cronin allegedly grabbed an officer’s gun and partially removed it from the holster during that altercation. Police said one round was fired but nobody was injured.

See more at wpri.com.

Police have arrested a man wanted in connection with a shots fired incident that happened in Fall River last month.

Joniel Medina, 20, was taken into custody outside of a Downing Street home Wednesday night.

Medina is facing several charges, including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, discharging a firearm with 500 feet of a building, striking a building while discharging a firearm and vandalism.

Police said Medina was wanted for a shots fired incident that happened on July 31 at the Father Diaferio Village Housing Development, during which a single round was fired through a window.

Medina was arrested during “Operation Restore the Row,” which was carried out by the Fall River Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and FBI Boston.

The operation was initiated in response to an uptick in gun violence, as well as “ongoing neighborhood decay,” in the Corky Row section of the city.

Throughout the operation, officers executed four search warrants, seized a variety of narcotics, secured a number of recreational vehicles and arrested 40 suspects on outstanding warrants and other offenses.

Fall River Police Chief J.T. Hoar described the operation as being “a line in the sand.”

“We showed what can happen when our entire department works together with a common purpose,” Hoar said. “We will continue to be aggressive in addressing violence and disorder, stand with the residents who take pride in their neighborhoods, and make it clear that we are not going backwards.”

“This is the direction of our department, and we’re just getting started,” he added. “To the residents of Fall River who take pride in their neighborhoods, want safer streets, and believe in the future of our city: we stand with you.”

See more at wpri.com.

A New Bedford police officer was suspended for three days earlier this year after investigators determined she did not render medical aid to a woman who later died after being hit by a car.

Officer Jennifer Touchette was suspended without pay for not checking on the victims of the deadly crash, which happened on Route 18 back in January. Her suspension was first reported by the New Bedford Light.

“Body camera footage and the [internal affairs] investigation showed that for almost three full minutes, you walked around the injuries victims lying on the ground and failed to provide any type of medical aid to them,” Thody wrote in the letter, which is dated May 12. “One of those victims would succumb and die from her injuries the next day.”

That victim, identified as 23-year-old Ruby Quiro Santos, was driving down Route 18 North on Jan. 30 she spun out into a snowbank near the Hillman Street on-ramp. Four others were also injured but survived, according to authorities.

Two New Bedford police officers, including Touchette, positioned their cruisers in front of and behind Santos’ car to protect it from oncoming traffic, according to a complaint summary obtained by 12 News.

See more at wpri.com.

The annual 3-point Hot Shot Challenge promises to be bigger and better this summer.

The event, now in its fifth year under the leadership of retired, longtime Fall River police officer Mike Perreira, returns to Fall River on Friday, Aug, 21, at Britland Park behind the police station on 75 Wordell Street.

Kids and adults will have a minute to shoot 25 basketballs. There will be four balls at six stations in various court spots. Three orange balls are worth five points and the black ball is 10 points. There will be one gold ball worth 25 points. Each contestant starts at the halfcourt line. If one sinks the long ball, they will be entered into a free-throw competition at the end of event for a chance to win a pair of top of the line basketball sneakers.

"Obviously, I'm looking to grow it every year," Perreira said. "The best thing about this competition is that a boy or girl can score no baskets and go home with $150 Nike sneakers with the raffle. This is a good way to bring the community together with the police officers and forge a good relationship with city youths, adults and the police department."

Unlike any other year, there will be two basketball courts including a brand new court thanks to a $2,000 donation from state Rep. Carole Fiola. Basketball equipment — racks and balls — were also included.

Interim police chief J.T. Hoar has been supportive of the event by supplying free Dominos Pizza and encouraging police officers to work the event with Fall River Police Association Local 1854 members.

See more at heraldnews.com.