Friends are rallying around the family of a Fairhaven man who died following a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 195 in Westport, launching an online fundraiser to help with funeral expenses and daily living costs.

The victim was identified as 64-year-old Mario Carreiro of Fairhaven by Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III. Carreiro suffered life-threatening injuries in the July 27 crash and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Authorities said a green BMW involved in the crash fled the scene, and the investigation remains ongoing.

According to the GoFundMe page, Carreiro was the primary provider for his family, supporting his wife, Anne, their three children and two grandchildren.

The online fundraiser aims to help give the family time to grieve without the added stress of immediate financial worries.

"His loss has created not only an emotional void, but also an overwhelming financial burden for those he leaves behind," the page states.

The fundraising effort was organized by a family friend, who said all donations will go directly toward funeral expenses and helping the Carreiro family with essential living costs in the weeks and months ahead.

Those wishing to support the family can donate through the GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-mario-carreiros-family-after-tragedy.

See more at heraldnews.com.

In an effort to prevent fraud and theft, as well as protect tax dollars, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced the state is switching to chip and tap-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

These cards, which are used for a variety of benefits including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will be mailed to recipients throughout the month of August, according to Healey’s office.

The statewide launch follows a successful pilot in which 35,000 residents of the Worcester area received the new EBT cards and made tens of thousands of transactions.

The mayor’s office said Massachusetts is now the fourth state to implement the upgraded security features.

“Families across Massachusetts rely on DTA programs to afford groceries and other essential goods,” Healey said in a press release. “We’re focused on preventing fraud and theft so that these funds are going to the people who need and deserve them.”

“Having a chip and tap-to-pay option on our EBT cards means a safer way to access benefits people use to keep their families fed and is one more tool in our arsenal that supports our ongoing commitment to safeguarding public funds,” DTA Commissioner Michael Cole added.

The preparation for the change began earlier this year as the state notified and worked with retailers to ensure they’ll be able to accept the new EBT cards. 

See more at wpri.com.

Did you know a New Bedford-based sign shop is assisting with the revitalization of Boston’s beloved CITGO sign?

Suffolk Construction began taking apart the 125,000-pound sign piece by piece back in May, starting with the existing letters and trimark logos. The process to dismantle and remove the massive sign took about two months.

The sign, which has overlooked Kenmore Square for decades, will be lifted 30 feet higher and shifted 120 feet to the east so it will remain visible within the city’s changing skyline, according to the developers.

The repositioning and restoration process includes the construction of a new steel truss that will be built into the sign’s existing anchor platform. The developers have repeatedly assured Bostonians that the sign’s overall height and dimensions will remain the same.

New Bedford’s Poyant Signs was tasked with evaluating whether the sign’s original components — specifically the letters and trimark logos — could be safely restored and reused.

Poyant Sign’s Jason Fredette told 12 News the structural assessment of the sign uncovered significant deterioration that was likely caused by its exposure to New England’s ever changing weather patterns.

That’s why “the best path forward” is to replicate the sign, according to Fredette.

“It’s going to be a whole new sign that will match the original sign down to the finest detail,” Fredette explained.

See more at wpri.com.

The Joseph Case softball team recently completed a historic four-peat.

Now the celebration is underway for the state-champion Cardinals, who won their fourth straight state crown and eighth overall in program's history after beating league opponent Apponequet 5-1 in the Division 3 state final game at Worcester State University.

Members of the Case softball team were awarded T-shirts and citations from the school department on Monday, July 27 at Joseph Case High School. State representative Justin Thurber of fifth Bristol District handed out the citations along with Cardinals head coach Shannon Silva.

Thurber also presented each of the players 'Yard Signs' that he made in conjunction with Steven Howitt for State Representative. State Senator Michael Rodriques also joined in on the fun by presenting a team citation.

Case was also honored at Fenway Park for the fourth consecutive year on Monday, July 20 prior to the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles game.

The Cardinals completed a 23-2 season in 2026. Since losing to Amesbury 1-0 in the 2022 Division 4 state finals, Case has ripped off 20 straight playoff wins, including five this year in a division higher than previous years.

See more at heraldnews.com.

The third time’s the charm.

At a special meeting on July 28, the Fall River City Council allowed for an “unanticipated” quick fix to the annual operating budget. Then councilors sped through a round of votes to approve the next 11 months of city spending after rejecting it two times over.

Councilors voted 8-1 in favor of the $483,583,582 million Fiscal 2027 budget after Chief Financial Officer Emily Arpke agreed to fully fund the Fall River Public Schools’ $17.1 million request to satisfy the costs of getting kids to school. 

City Councilor Christopher Peckham was the lone dissenter when it came time to vote at the end of an hourlong discussion where the two roadblocks — school transportation and a line item reserving $40,000 for a City Council lawyer — were virtually lifted.

When City Council President Cliff Ponte called for a five-minute recess during the meeting, Arpke rushed out of the Government Center hearing room to reduce one line item of $578,517 from the reserve fund and reallocate it, moving it higher up on the balance sheet to school transportation.

The last-minute modification came about as Superintendent Kathleen Smith maintained that the $17.1 million would ensure student transit was covered. The district was looking for an additional $450,000 after the city agree to partially fund transportation out of the gate at around $16,650,000.

The Council’s request that they have an expenditure item to retain legal counsel if they deemed it necessary was satisfied in a Memorandum of Agreement, that stated the city would provide the $40,000 for legal consultation.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Police in Somerset are alerting residents to a scam in which callers are impersonating officers.

In a Facebook post, Somerset police said they’ve received two reports of people getting calls from a male who claims to be from the department, using the name of a real officer. One of the reports said their caller ID even read “Somerset Police Department.”

Police pointed out how officers’ names can be found online and scammers have ways to spoof telephone numbers.

The callers claimed the potential victim owes money and urges them to send it directly, saying they shouldn’t go to the police station since there’s an active warrant for their arrest.

Police are asking residents to notify any relatives or friends who may be a target. Anyone who has concerns about suspicious calls or emails can contact the department at 508-679-2138.

See more at wpri.com.

An investigation is underway after a deadly crash involving three vehicles n I-195 westbound in Westport Monday afternoon.

In a press release Tuesday morning, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn’s office identified the victim as 64-year-old Mario Carreiro of Fairhaven.

First responders were first called to the scene around 3:20 p.m. for reports of a serious crash near mile marker 16.

According to Quinn’s office, a green BMW that was also involved in the crash had fled the scene.

The driver of the blue Audi wasn’t hurt and remained on the scene to talk to law enforcement.

One person is dead after being hit by a train at the MBTA station in Attleboro on Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

Attleboro Fire officials said they responded to the South Main Street train station around 2:50 p.m. where they found an individual who was struck on the inbound side.

The person was pronounced dead at the scene.

The area was blocked off and all tracks were shut down.

The victim’s name has not yet been released and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear as Amtrack, Transit and Attleboro police continue their investigation.

In a 3:22 p.m. post on X, the MBTA said all Providence Line trains would hold until further notice at South Station due to “police activity on the right of way in the Attleboro area.” Commuter rail passengers were told to expect significant delays in both directions.

See more at wpri.com.

A veteran correctional officer is suing the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Paul Heroux alleging employment discrimination and retaliation.

The lawsuit was filed in Bristol County Superior Court on July 23 by Juan Rodriguez and also names BCSO Superintendent Joseph Oliver III as a defendant.

It seeks $500,000 for emotional-distress damages and $40,000 for lost wages.

The 24-page discrimination and retaliation lawsuit alleges that Rodriguez was treated differently and was denied advancement opportunities after a serious inmate assault left him injured in 2023.

Rodriguez identifies his race as Spanish with his place of national origin being Puerto Rico, according to the lawsuit.

He began working for the sheriff's office in 2014 under Heroux’s predecessor, Thomas Hodgson. Heroux took office in January 2023.

Rodriguez was promoted to lieutenant in July 2022, which included a standard one-year probationary period ending July 2, 2023.

A Bristol County Superior Court judge has denied a request to reconsider its decision earlier this year that tossed most of a sexual harassment lawsuit by a Fall River Public Schools safety officer.

School safety officer Carla Cruz in October 2025 filed a civil lawsuit in Superior Court seeking $10 million and a jury trial on allegations that three coworkers propositioned her for sex, offered her drugs and groped her, and that school officials were negligent in investigating the matter.

Cruz sued the school department, then-Superintendent Tracy Curley, former Superintendent Maria Pontes, FRPS Human Resources Executive Director Thomas Coogan, Title IX Coordinator Brian Lally, and three coworkers: Joseph Correia, Kyle Frizado and Jordan Periquito.

Judge Thomas Perrino in May dismissed the claims against all parties except Periquito, in part because she let too much time elapse between the alleged incidents and her complaint.

On July 22, Perrino denied a motion from Cruz to reconsider the decision, saying nothing in Cruz’s motion changes the fact that the statute of limitations had run out on her complaints.

He also denied a motion from Cruz to amend her original complaint, because Cruz “failed to submit a proposed amended complaint.”

See more at heraldnews.com.

The Fall River Police Department projects that it spent about $2.8 million on overtime in Fiscal 2026, which ended June 30.

The total includes payments to officers who cover others’ shifts, appear in court, conduct investigations or work special events.

It does not include holiday pay, weekend pay and shift premiums, which are typically paid for working nights. Those categories, combined, cost the department $1.98 million in the most recent fiscal year.

The department’s base payroll was $19,348,531. It listed 218 active sworn officers in city budget documents dated June 30.

That base payroll has crept up from $17,612,287 in the 2024 fiscal year. The cost of overtime and holiday, weekend and night shifts has remained fairly constant since then, rising slightly in the 2025 fiscal year and falling again in 2026.

“Overtime is part of the business because of the inability to always forecast what is going to happen,” he said.

Hoar said detectives had to be called in during the night to solve a recent armed robbery, resulting in overtime pay.

“We don’t halt investigations because we’re running out of overtime,” he said.

See more at heraldnews.com.

One SouthCoast Chamber has selected Anthony F. Cordeiro as the recipient of the Roger Valcourt Outstanding Citizen Award, which will be presented during an awards dinner on Sept. 16 at Venus de Milo in Swansea.

The recognition honors individuals with a longstanding record of volunteerism and leadership in the region, according to a community announcement. The annual award commemorates Roger Valcourt, a business and community leader whose legacy has been recognized through the chamber's Outstanding Citizen Award program since his death in 1979.

Cordeiro founded Anthony F. Cordeiro Insurance Agency LLC in 1987 at age 24 and has built a business portfolio that includes insurance, real estate and development companies throughout the Greater Fall River area. He currently serves as president and CEO of Anthony F. Cordeiro Insurance Agency LLC, Cordeiro Properties LLC and Downtown Development Companies LLC.

His development work includes Commonwealth Landing, a mixed-use project featuring 103 market-rate apartments, and Downtown Lofts, a collection of five mixed-use properties with 146 apartments in downtown Fall River. As managing partner of more than 30 limited liability corporations, Cordeiro oversees more than $130 million in real estate assets.

The price of gas in Massachusetts is climbing. 

The average cost for regular is four-dollars-13-cents a gallon.  That's ten-cents more than a week ago. 

Triple A reports the current national average is four-dollars-11-cents per gallon.

 A man was arrested after a police K9 helped investigators discover illegal drugs he allegedly stored inside his former Fall River home last week.

In 2018, Justin Russell was arrested following a drug bust at his Howland Street home, according to police. He later pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and firearm-related charges in Superior Court, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Then on July 24, a Fall River detective assigned to the FBI Metro Boston Gang Task Force learned Russell had been keeping a “significant quantity” of illegal narcotics at the same residence.

Police obtained a warrant to search the property, which they now described as vacant, uninhabitable and without electricity or running water.

About an hour into the search, Fall River police K9 Marta entered a dirt crawl space under the back of the house, where she alerted investigators to more than one kilogram of suspected cocaine and a loaded gun.

While Russell was not inside during the search, police said they located and arrested him in New Bedford on separate charges later that day.

One person was killed in a crash on I-195 in Westport on Monday afternoon, according to state police.

Troopers responded to I-195 westbound near Exit 16 shortly before 3:30 p.m.

State police said one of the passengers inside a vehicle involved in the crash died from their injuries.

The two right lanes were closed in the area for several hours, but have since reopened.

See more at wpri.com.

Republicans are gaining ground across southeastern Massachusetts.  In 2024, President Trump made some of his strongest statewide gains in Bristol and Plymouth counties. 

Now, candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve and running mate Shawn Oliver are hoping to capitalize on those gains in the upcoming primary elections. The area also has its first Republican candidate for Bristol County district attorney in more than 50 years. 

Party leaders say economic frustration and dissatisfaction with Beacon Hill are creating new opportunities for the GOP.

When he started patrol work over 20 years ago, Fall River Deputy Chief of Police Barden Castro said, a generic eyewitness account of a crime — “a green car left the scene and I think the plate was, you know, 1-2-3” — could send an officer combing through grainy security footage for hours, knocking on doors and bothering uninvolved people, looking for a match.

Now, he said, it’s the total opposite: “OK, green car, 1-2-3? Well, let’s put it in Flock.”

For the last five years, the Fall River Police Department has used automated license plate reader cameras manufactured by Flock Safety to help investigate shootings, missing person cases, illegal dumping and at least one bank robbery. While the cameras have raised constitutional and privacy concerns nationwide, FRPD says its own policies safeguard the technology from abuse.

Fall River police operates 41 Flock cameras, according to interim Chief of Police J.T. Hoar, located primarily along major streets and entry points to the city.

The cameras record and log the license plates of all passing vehicles, creating a searchable database for law enforcement agencies that subscribe to the service. The cameras catch details like the car’s model, color and any dents or distinctive cargo. Fall River data remains in the database for 30 days, according to FRPD policy.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Fall River city councilors asked the city’s legal department to develop a list of possible ordinances to limit billboards.

The city council’s Committee on Ordinances & Legislation unanimously approved Councilor Linda Pereira’s motion at its July 23 meeting. Pereira introduced the topic to the full city council in June; the council referred it to the committee.

“I do not want to turn our waterfront into Las Vegas,” said Councilor Michelle Dionne.

The future of the recently rebuilt Route 79/Davol Street Corridor along Fall River’s waterfront has sparked lively discussion, with over 20 acres available for residential and retail development. Earlier this year, an electronic billboard went up in the corridor. Its special permit dates to 2021 and allows it to reach a height of 50 feet.

“I want our waterfront to be more in line with Newport, where it makes people happy,” Dionne said.

Though Pereira's motion doesn't single out waterfront billboards, councilors honed in on that area during their discussion. They formally asked the Office of the Corporation Counsel to examine other cities’ and towns’ billboard regulations to get a better idea of what Fall River could implement.

According to the MassDOT’s Office of Outdoor Advertising, the towns of Lexington, Concord and Lincoln are “outdoor advertising free zones,” as is the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown.

There’s no better time to be developer with an eye and an appetite for the Fall River waterfront — now a rolling green space — but soon to be transformed into a vibrant, walkable, multi-use boulevard, and sooner still, to be parceled out at bidding.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation released an official Invitation to Bid on July 24, marking a major milestone for the development of the Route 79-Davol Corridor’s 20-acre frontier, and sending a clear signal that the state-local partnership will remain intact as developers enter the bidding.

MassDOT stated it is seeking proposals that hold the promise of being able to transform a blank canvas of several separate parcels into a vibrant mixed-use district that reflects the community's vision for the Davol Street Corridor.

Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan thanked Gov. Maura Healey and state officials “for their continuing commitment” to the Route 79-Davol Street project. “We are excited to see this transformational project at this stage as the future growth and development of these parcels on our city’s waterfront will bring close to $1 billion of investment and open many new economic opportunities for the City of Fall River.”  

The town’s Zoning Board of Appeals appeared to get bogged down by legal definitions and scientific concepts causing them to stall their decision-making when it came to Salt Cod Storage, a battery energy storage system proposed for the former Montaup Electric coal-fired power plant.

Somerset doesn’t have a zoning bylaw that addresses battery electricity storage systems, or BESS. 

Flatiron Energy, the Denver, Colorado-based company overseeing the battery storage project, claims the Riverside Avenue project can proceed by right. Flatiron Energy plans to harvest and store electrical charge from the electrical grid when there is a surplus and release it back onto the grid when demand is highest.

“Storage is an allowed use within an industrial district,” said Jeffrey Ganguly, the real estate attorney of Boston-based Foley Hoag law practice serving as Flatiron’s counsel at the July 16 ZBA meeting.

“Zoning bylaws are not perfect,” he added, and there’s no way to address every conceivable use of a parcel within a given zoning district.

The site proposed for Salt Cod Storage lies in a predominantly industrial and business overlay district.  

Flatiron says it has committed to building this project solely using union labor, with about 30 union members, many of whom live in Somerset, in attendance at the last ZBA meeting. 

Organizers of the 110th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament say this year's milestone celebration will combine longstanding Madeiran traditions with significant changes aimed at improving safety, reducing waiting times and enhancing the overall visitor experience.

The feast sponsored by Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento Inc. will take place from Thursday, July 30, to Sunday, Aug. 2, at Madeira Field in the North End of New Bedford.

Billed as the largest Portuguese cultural festival in the United States, the celebration is expected to draw up to 200,000 people, according to organizers.

"We do want this to be a safe environment,” said Tim Rodrigues, the 2026 feast president and president of Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento Inc. “We do want this to be a fun environment for the families to come, and the community to come and celebrate our feast."

Among the biggest changes this year are expanded security measures and a new cashless payment system throughout the feast grounds.

The feast will enforce a new under-21 policy during evening hours. Rodrigues said individuals younger than 21 will not be permitted to enter the grounds after 8 p.m., even if accompanied by an adult.

Organizers said the policy was developed after researching similar measures used at other large festivals and is intended to help maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.

Rodrigues said organizers have invested heavily in security, including enhanced metal detectors designed to speed entry while maintaining screening procedures. Visitors will no longer have to wait in multiple lines for identification checks and wristbands.

The event is also eliminating traditional food and beverage tickets. Purchases at barracas (booths) will now be made electronically, though attendees who prefer cash can exchange it for prepaid cards at kiosks throughout the grounds.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A 64-year-old man has died after he was hit by a car while crossing the street in a mobility scooter in Newport.

Officers were called to the intersection Memorial Boulevard and Chapel Street just after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports of a man in a motorized scooter lying in the middle of the sidewalk.

Police said the victim, identified as John Miles, was discovered lying in the median near the intersection after being thrown from his scooter.

Miles was flown to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition, where he later died, according to police.

Investigators believe Miles was in the crosswalk when an oncoming truck hit him, throwing the scooter 30 feet away.

Planning a beach day in Massachusetts for this weekend?

If so, you'll want to avoid the beaches closed due to unsafe swimming water, including several SouthCoast spots.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) states that swimming in the water at these closed beaches poses a threat of illness due to high levels of bacteria. Symptoms of water-borne illness can range from nausea and vomiting to a sore throat and fever, or even rashes and infections.

The following Massachusetts beaches, listed by town, are closed as of Thursday, July 23:

• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach (Other)
• Barnstable: Keyes Beach at Sea Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Beverly: Mingo (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Danvers: Sandy Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Dartmouth:
  • Anthony Beach (CSO/SSO event)
  • Hidden Bay (CSO/SSO event)
  • Jones Town Beach North (CSO/SSO event)
  • Jones Town Beach South (CSO/SSO event)
  • Moses Smith Creek (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Oak Hill Shores (CSO/SSO event)
• Holden: Eagle Lake (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Lanesborough: Sunrise Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Middleboro: Camp Yomechas (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Newburyport:
  • Plum Island at 55th Street (Other)
  • Plum Island – end of island 1 (Other)
  • Plum Island – end of island 2 (Other)
  • Plum Island Point (Bacterial Exceedance)
• North Andover: Frye Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
• Quincy:
  • Merrymount (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Mound (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Nickerson (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Salem:
  • Children's Island – Back (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Children's Island – Wally (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Ocean Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Willow Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swampscott: Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swansea: Coles River Club off Harbor Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Tisbury:
  • Owen Little Way (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Tashmoo Beach (Other)
  • Tashmoo Cut (Other)
• Wareham:
  • Forbes (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Standish Shores (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Winthrop:
  • Donovans (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Pico (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Worcester: Coes Pond Beach at Mill Street (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)

Massachusetts is unveiling new designs for the new two-billion-dollar Sagamore Bridge. 

The plan would install wider traffic lanes, shoulders and separate lanes for vehicles entering and exiting.  It would also include a protected path for pedestrians and cyclists with a west-facing sunset lookout. 

Construction could begin in late 2027, with the first span opening in 2033.  The second span is expected to open by 2037, replacing the 91-year-old bridge.

Residents, skateboarders and families are set to gather at Lafayette Park's new skate park in Fall River for Summer Jam, a community celebration scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. July 25.

The event will mark the installation of the skate park and highlight recreational opportunities in the city, according to a community announcement. Organizers say the afternoon will include skateboarding activities, live entertainment, local vendors and food trucks.

Attendees will have an opportunity to explore the new skatepark while taking part in a community gathering focused on Fall River's skateboarding scene.

The event also will feature a Best Trick Contest and Skate Jam designed for participants of varying experience levels. Skaters will compete for cash prizes during the Best Trick Contest.

See more at heraldnews.com.