WSAR NEWS

What's impact on Brockton, Taunton, Fall River patients if Steward sells doctors group?

BROCKTON — The company that runs Brockton's Good Samaritan Medical Center and other hard-pressed community hospitals, including Saint Anne's in Fall River and Morton in Taunton, aims to sell its physician practice.

 

In a Tuesday regulatory filing, Steward Health Care revealed plans to sell Stewardship Health to Optum, an arm of UnitedHealth Group.

 

If approved, the sale could generate cash for Steward, a private, for-profit company that has been behind on rent and payments to vendors. It isn't clear what impact the change of hands would have on patients. Massachusetts' representatives in Washington were quick to question the sale.

 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Star-studded cast, here are 18 Fall River area softball players to watch in 2024

FALL RIVER — High school softball is finally here and ready to go in 2024.

 

Six area high school teams — Atlantis Charter, Case, Diman, Durfee, Somerset Berkley and Westport — will look toward their athletes to lead the way and hopefully a deep run in the state tournament.

 

Here's a look at softball players to watch for Greater Fall River teams.

 

Read more from Steven Sanchez at heraldnews.com.

'Let's make Pleasant Street pleasant again,' says Fall River business owner

FALL RIVER — Once considered Fall River’s second downtown, with bustling long strip of Pleasant Street with shops and restaurants, the Flint neighborhood has certainly seen better days. 

 

But now with the help of an infusion of $1.66 million in federal funding, there is an effort to revitalize the Flint neighborhood into a walkable economic engine for the city with the city’s planned streetscape project. 

 

On Tuesday, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, one of the area’s federal delegates who secured the funding, visited the Flint with other elected officials to take a look at the Flint’s “before” picture. 

 

Speaking to a crowd inside Gilbert’s Jewelers, a business that is participating in the Community Development Agency’s storefront improvement project in the Flint, Auchincloss said the post-war way of handling infrastructure, that was entirely predicated on the car, has over time “hollowed out our downtowns to make way for the automobile."

 

Read more from Jo C. Goode at heraldnews.com.

Mass. Maritime Academy to train cadets on 'lessons learned' from Baltimore bridge collapse

BOURNE, Mass. (WPRI) — It’s no secret that the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will be studied for years to come.

 

The bridge plunged into the Patapsco River early Tuesday morning after a cargo ship crashed into one of its support pillars. The cargo ship lost power and steering capabilities moments before impact.

 

The ship’s crew issued a mayday call that gave authorities enough time to limit traffic on the bridge. Six construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge when it collapsed are still missing and have been presumed dead.

 

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is looking for ways to incorporate the scenario into its training exercises to better prepare cadets for issues that might arise while at sea.

 

“These types of operations happen every day, all over the world, without incident,” said Captain Michael Burns, executive director of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s Center of Maritime and Professional Training. “But operating ships at sea is still a dangerous business.”

 

Read more at wpri.com.

Patriots Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler arrested for drunk driving in North Providence

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — North Providence police arrested former New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol earlier this month, Target 12 has learned.

 

Police and court records show the recently retired NFL star was arrested March 16 and charged March 21 with one count of driving under the influence of liquor. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, according to court records.

 

Butler’s attorney, former R.I. House Speaker John Harwood, has filed a motion to dismiss or suppress the charge, arguing Butler said his constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendments “were violated.”

 

Read more at wpri.com.

Steward Health reaches deal to sell network of doctors to Optum

BOSTON (WPRI) — Hospital operator Steward Health Care has struck a deal to sell its nationwide physician network to insurance giant UnitedHealth’s Optum unit.

 

Over the past few weeks, Steward’s financial crisis — that’s consumed its Massachusetts hospitals — has gained widespread attention.

 

The proposed sale is part of Steward’s plan to help the Dallas-based company’s troubling finances after it fell behind in paying bills and rents.

 

Read more at wpri.com.

From sluggers to aces, these are the 16 Fall River area baseball players to watch in 2024

The high school baseball is set to get underway.

 

Six Greater Fall River area teams — Atlantis Charter, Case, Diman, Durfee, Somerset Berkley and Westport — will take to the diamond this week in hopes of advancing deep into the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.

 

Here are Fall River’s area high school players to watch during the 2024 season.

 

Read more from Steven Sanchez at heraldnews.com.

SouthCoast Wind plans meeting on its Brayton Point plans

The public can learn more about the proposed SouthCoast Wind project at Brayton Point in Somerset and talk to company representatives at a meeting next week. 

 

SouthCoast Wind invited Somerset and Swansea residents to a free public event on Thursday, April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m.  

 

Read what you need to know about the project at heraldnews.com.

After Baltimore bridge disaster, could Fall River's port pick up some shipping traffic?

FALL RIVER — It’s too early to tell how exactly Tuesday's devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and the closure of that city’s port, will affect the shipping industry in Fall River. But Ken Fiola Jr. said we’ll feel the effects even hundreds of miles away. 

 

“It’s a nightmare,” he said.

 

Fiola is the facility safety officer at Fall River Line Pier Inc., which operates at the Fall River State Pier on Water Street.

 

“This is going to have shipping repercussions throughout the East Coast, both on land and on sea," Fiola said. “There’ll be more trucks on the roads. There’s going to be congestion at ports. There are going to be delays in products being delivered and shipped. It’s going to have an impact.”

 

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

Diman Principal Andrew Rebello wins another leadership award thanks to 'remarkable growth'

FALL RIVER — Just five months after winning the “Oscars of teaching,” Andrew Rebello has won another major award. 

 

On Tuesday, Rebello, the assistant superintendent-principal at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, was named the 2024 High School Principal of the year by the Massachusetts School Administrators Association. 

 

"It is surreal, and I am honored," Rebello told The Herald News. "Being recognized for doing well at something you love is great, but this award isn't just a reflection of my work. It reflects our staff and students' resilience, determination, and will. Teachers and staff have bought into our life-ready mission and do everything in their power to reach every student."

 

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

Cargo ship lost power and issued mayday before hitting Baltimore's bridge, governor says

A container ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors.

 

The operators of the ship issued a mayday call moments before the crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said.

 

The ship crashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to break apart like a toy. It tumbled into the water in a matter of seconds — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.

 

The crash happened long before the busy morning commute in what one official called a “developing mass casualty event.” Two people were rescued, and it was not clear how many more might be in the waters of the busy harbor near a key port.

 

Read more at wpri.com.

13 Herald News high school baseball and softball games you have to see in 2024

FALL RIVER — With the spring season just days away, the Herald News dives into the 2024 schedules for six area high school teams.

 

Atlantis Charter, Case, Diman, Durfee, Somerset Berkley, Westport baseball and softball teams get set for another long season on their respective diamonds.

 

There are even a couple notable games in early April to keep an eye on. The Hilltopper baseball team will be tested early when it plays host to the two-time defending Division 1 state champion Taunton High. Meanwhile the defending Division 4 state champion Case softball team travels to face Elite 8 finalist and South Coast Conference opponent Dighton-Rehoboth. There's always also some exciting rivalries that can make for unforgettable games.

 

Here's a look at the matchups:

 

Read more from Steven Sanchez at heraldnews.com.

Lizzie Borden House asks federal appeals court: Stop Miss Lizzie's Coffee shop

The owner of the Lizzie Borden House on Second Street is once again asking a court to stop its neighbor, Miss Lizzie’s Coffee, from doing business.  

 

US Ghost Adventures on Monday filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The bed and breakfast’s owner asked the appeals court to reverse a federal District Court judge’s decision denying them a preliminary injunction against the coffee shop while the inn pursues a lawsuit against the cafe. 

 

The Lizzie Borden House, at 230 Second St., claims that Miss Lizzie’s Coffee, at 242 Second St., is violating trademarks that US Ghost Adventures owns, creating confusion for customers and harming its business. It even claims a Fall River official was confused.

 

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

Women's History Month: 5 women who had a major influence on Greater Fall River

Women have shaped the culture and landscape of Greater Fall River in innumerable ways, though not often given the dignity and respect they deserve.  

 

Women’s History Month gives us an opportunity to correct that. Formally recognized for March since 1987, the month is a time to look at the remarkable lives and accomplishments of women throughout history.  

 

Greater Fall River still has room to improve in terms of representation — the city has never elected a female mayor in 170 years, for instance. But political power is only one way to make change. Here are five women who have had an outsized influence on our history: 

 

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

Fall River Shuts Down Illegal Rooming House After Fatal Stabbing

FALL RIVER — The residents at an illegal rooming house at 234 Tripp St. where a man was stabbed to death on March 15 were placed there by St. Francis House, the Boston-based agency that assists and places the homeless. 

 

On Monday, city Building Inspector Glenn Hathaway said he served the owner of the four-unit property, Jean Ralph Prophil, a cease-and-desist order at his North Main Street home, citing both zoning and building code violations and ordering the rooming house shuttered. 

 

Hathaway said Prophil told him the last of the residents living in the Tripp Street property were moving out on Monday, the day the owner received the cease-and-desist order.

 

The Herald News made several requests for an interview from St. Francis House president and CEO Karen LaFrazia, but she was unavailable.

 

Read more from Jo C. Goode at heraldnews.com.

A Fall River basketball star is headed to college out west, with the NBA in his sights

FALL RIVER — Joson Sanon may soon be out shopping for a new wardrobe. One of the top prep school basketball players on the planet, the city resident has decided to take his extraordinary hoops talents from northern New England to the Arizona desert.

 

Sanon on Thursday verbally committed to attend the University of Arizona in Tucson on a basketball scholarship. The 6-foot-5 wing recently finished his third and final basketball season for Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont.

 

The former B.M.C. Durfee High School player is a junior at Vermont Academy, but said he will be graduating this summer and is re-classifying to 2024, a year being billed as exceptionally strong for D1 men's basketball prospects.

 

Read more from Greg Sullivan at heraldnews.com.

Dartmouth man arrested on drug charges

DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WPRI) — After a months-long investigation, a man was arrested for drug-related charges, according to Dartmouth police.

 

Around 4 p.m. Thursday, detectives went to Cove Road to execute a search warrant.

 

Police say they found 30 grams of suspected powder cocaine, three grams of suspected crack cocaine, fice grams of suspected fentanyl, 10 suboxone strips, a variety of drug paraphernalia and $955 in cash.

 

As a result of the investigation, 27-year-old Daarnez Ramos was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of a Class A and Class B drug and possession to distribute cocaine.

 

From wpri.com.

MA Senate approves $850M for emergency shelter system while adding time limit

BOSTON (WPRI) — Massachusetts lawmakers are one step closer to imposing time limits on the state’s “right to shelter” law. On Thursday, the state Senate passed a supplemental budget package that would put $850 million into the emergency shelter system, but would also cap the length of a homeless family’s stay in one of those shelters at nine months.

 

Kevin Connor, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, told Target 12 that the average stay for families is about 16 months. However, there is no limit in place for the roughly 7,500 families in the state’s care.

 

The restrictions, passed by the Senate in a 32-8 vote, would also include 90-day extensions for veterans, pregnant women, and people who are employed or going through a job training program.

 

Read more at wpri.com.

At least one detained after incident in Fall River

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — Massachusetts State Police responded to a scene in Fall River where at least one person was detained following an incident on North Main Street Friday night.

 

A 12 News crew on scene saw a car that appeared to have been struck by another vehicle, and ended up on the curb of the street.

 

A Massachusetts State Police helicopter was also seen flying above the area.

 

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.

 

From wpri.com.

Adam Gauthier indicted by grand jury in wrong-way crash in Somerset that killed 3

FALL RIVER — Somerset native Adam Gauthier was indicted Friday by a Bristol County grand jury in connection to the Christmas night crash on the Veterans Memorial Bridge that killed a Seekonk couple and their teenage grandson.

 

According to the Bristol County District Attorney's office, Gauthier, 41, of New York City, was indicted on three counts of motor vehicle manslaughter while operating under the influence and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

 

An arraignment date has yet to be set for Gauthier's case, which will be heard at Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River.

 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

100 days later, businesses still feeling impacts of I-195 bridge closure

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — It’s been 100 days since the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) abruptly shut down the westbound side of the Washington Bridge and upended the I-195 corridor for the foreseeable future.

 

The bridge, which connects East Providence to Providence via I-195 West, has been closed since mid-December, when an engineer uncovered the critical failure of the steel anchor rods that hold its major beams in place.

 

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti announced last week that the bridge needs to be demolished and rebuilt. He said the bridge will be out of commission until at least 2026.

 

The abrupt closure has caused significant traffic on the highway and in surrounding communities, frustrating drivers by lengthening their commutes.

 

But it’s not just commuters who are feeling the impacts of the bridge closure. It has also taken a significant toll on small businesses.

 

 

Read more at wpri.com.

A look inside New Bedford's new pediatric rehab center

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — Southcoast Health is officially unveiling its new pediatric rehabilitation program Friday morning in New Bedford.

 

12 News got an exclusive look inside the facility that will serve 4,000 patients annually ranging from newborns to young adults up to 22 years old in Southern New England.

 

The center will be staffed with 34 professional therapists from a variety of specializations including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language pathologists to deliver services to families six days a week.

 

See more at wpri.com.

Fall River teen to be charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Colus Jamal Mills-Good

FALL RIVER — A Fall River teen has been arrested and will be charged with murder in the shooting of Colus Jamal Mills-Good on Rock Street in Fall River March 14.

 

Amannie Chiclana, 19, of Fall River was arrested in Stoughton by the members of the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, State Police Detectives assigned to District Attorney Tom Quinn's office and Fall River Police. The defendant will be arraigned Friday morning in Fall River District Court on charges of murder and carrying an illegal firearm, according to a DA press release.

 

Jadyn Ortiz, 19, of Fall River, Xzavien Figueroa-Valcarel, 19, of Fall River and Giovanni Nunes, 18, of Fall River have already charged with accessory to murder after the fact and are being held on bail.

 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Woman arrested in connection with 2019 shooting of David Ortiz

 A Venezuelan woman connected to the shooting of Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz was arrested on Tuesday.

 

Police say 25-year-old María Fernanda Villasmil Manzanilla was captured nearly five years after the 2019 shooting in the Dominican Republic.

 

Ortiz was shot in the back at close range by 27-year-old Rolfi Ferrera-Cruz, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

 

From wpri.com.

Massachusetts gas prices rose from last week: See how much here

State gas prices rose for the second consecutive week and reached an average of$3.22 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, up from last week's price of $3.17 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

 

The average fuel price in state has risen about 8 cents since last month. According to the EIA, gas prices across the state in the last year have been as low as $3.07 on Jan. 29, 2024, and as high as$3.76 on Aug. 7, 2023.

 

A year ago, the average gas price in Massachusetts was 0% lower at $3.21 per gallon.

 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

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