Fifteen-year-old Benjamin Courville was too shy to give a speech when Dighton Selectmen awarded him a certificate of appreciation for recently saving a woman's life from choking to death at a Fall River restaurant.

But he wasn't shy on June 30 around 3:30 p.m. while dining with his mother Christine at the 99 Restaurant in Fall River when without hesitation he jumped out of his seat and ran to a young woman in obvious distress.

He asked her if she was choking. She nodded yes. He immediately turned her around and applied the Heimlich maneuver until the object she was choking on was dislodged.

At the July 24 Dighton Selectmen's meeting, Courville received not only the board's award but also a "Heart Saver Hero" certificate and clear glass trophy from the American Heart Association for his life-saving act that day.

"As a direct result of Benjamin Courville's selfless and heroic actions, a young life was saved," Acting Selectmen Chair Mark Pacheco said, reading from the certificate.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Police have a suspect in custody after a stabbing on North Main Street across from the Fall River Public Library on Wednesday morning. 

Fall River Police Sgt. Moses Pereira said police responded to the area of 141 N. Main St. around 10:30 a.m. for reports of a stabbing. He said a 44-year-old man was taken to a nearby trauma center with an injury consistent with a stab wound to the abdomen.

The victim is in stable condition.

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — A mosquito sample collected last week in New Bedford’s Hicks Logan neighborhood has tested positive for West Nile virus.

The city said the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) notified regional health officials on Tuesday.

The type of mosquito involved mostly bites birds and the local risk level remains low, according to the city.

Although the sample was collected in one neighborhood, it is possible the virus is present in other parts of the city.

The Bristol County Mosquito Project will conduct targeted ground-spraying on Thursday in areas south of I-195 and east of Route 18.

The county sprays for mosquitoes every Thursday during the summer between 2 a.m. and sunrise. Parks and other areas with large public events are often the focus.

Read more from wpri.com.

SOMERSET, Mass. (WPRI) — Police are investigating after a bicyclist was hit and killed by a truck in Somerset Tuesday afternoon.

Somerset Police Chief Todd Costa said officers were called to the intersection or Read Street and Brayton Avenue for reports of a crash involving a commercial truck and an electric bicycle.

Costa said the bicyclist, a man in his 50s, was rushed to Charlton Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The driver stopped and is cooperating with the investigation. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — If you've never gotten a college degree, Bristol Community College is now literally giving them away for free — as long as you study and earn it. 

Gov. Maura Healey on Monday signed into law the $57.78 billion Fiscal 2025 state budget, which in part establishes the MassEducate program, a new initiative that makes every community college in the state free for anyone who has never earned a degree.  

The program will pay all your tuition and fees, and provide a stipend for books and supplies for some students. 

"This means that now, more than ever, higher education is within reach," stated Bristol Community College President Laura L. Douglas.

Here’s what you need to know about the MassEducate program.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The Massachusetts Restaurant Association is opposed to a proposal that would bring happy hour back to the commonwealth. 

The advocacy group indicates that many restaurant owners do not support the plan.  They are also calling on lawmakers to address issues that are important to them, including relief from high operating costs and credit card processing fees. 

Lawmakers have until today to approve the measure that would bring back happy hour.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (WPRI) — More than $3 million in state grant funds were awarded to 32 police departments across Massachusetts for body-worn cameras, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced Monday.

Established in 2021, the Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Program provides funding to help municipalities start or expand an existing BWC program.

Agencies with fewer than 50 officers can collaborate to submit a joint application.

This year, the Fairhaven Police Department was awarded $193,145, while the Westport Police Department was given $19,365.

“This technology has become an essential tool for law enforcement, and we’re proud to invest in resources that advance best practices and ensure safer communities across Massachusetts,” Gov. Maura Healey said Monday in a press release.

Read more at wpri.com.

Governor Maura Healey has signed the nearly 58-billion-dollar state budget package for the fiscal year that started July first. 

The budget funds the state government and includes some new programs, including one that provides free community college to all residents of the commonwealth. 

It also includes money to allow regional transit agencies to offer free bus fares. 

Massachusetts is the last state in the country to put a budget in place for the current fiscal year.

Massachusetts is providing 30-million-dollars to Steward Health Care to make sure the company's hospitals remain operational. 

The bankrupt company operates multiple hospitals in the commonwealth, including two in Boston. 

Steward is not allowed to use the money for anything but patient care and employee salaries. 

Steward officials say the money will help the company continue to provide quality health care in the communities they serve until the facilities can be sold.

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — Officers in Fall River arrested a 50-year-old man accused of threatening violence to multiple people on Saturday night.

Sean Dacosta has been charged with disturbing the peace, terroristic threats, carrying a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

Police said that around 9:50 p.m. officers responded to a call about a man making violent threats at Cardinal Medeiros Towers.

As officers headed to the scene, they were told a man was outside holding a hammer, according to police.

Police also said once officers got there, Dacosta cooperated with them and was brought into custody.

Witnesses also accused him of threatening to shoot those on the property. Police said no guns were found.

Read more at wpri.com.

A swarm of dragonflies invaded some local beaches on Saturday.

A 12 News viewer sent in video of what appeared to be hundreds, if not thousands, of the insects flying around the beach and carousel in Watch Hill.

12 News has reached out to the Rhode Island Department of Environment Management to see why this may have occurred, but have not heard back from them yet.

See more at wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — Last January, the City Council rejected a plan to sell the Bank Street Armory and renovate it into a market-rate housing development, and ever since there’s been little movement to develop the nearly 127-year-old fortress-like building. 

But some movement may be afoot, after members of the council's Committee on Ordinances and Legislation invited the members of the Historical Commission and Preservation Society of Fall River to help devise a plan for its future use.

Committee chairwoman and Council Vice President Linda Pereira said a plan will rely on public input.

“They want to have public hearings to see what people think. I think bringing the community into it would make sense,” said Pereira, who was a staunch opponent of selling the armory.

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

FALL RIVER — Time to get revved up.

Powerboats are making their way back to the Fall River waterfront with the return of the Borden Light Marina Charity Poker Run.

Over 60 powerboats will launch from the waters of Mount Hope Bay next weekend for the fundraising event organized by Mike and Nicole Lund, owners of the Borden Light Marina, as well as Tipsy Seagull and Pier 52 restaurants.

And even if you're not a boater, there are still plenty of ways to get in on the fun.

"We've created this little village down at Borden Light Marina for the event, where the public can participate and hang out for the day," Nicole Lund said.

Festivities get underway Friday with special VIP events for participating crews, but the main event is Saturday, Aug. 3, with the race and a slate of activities for the public at the marina.

Powerboats leave the dock at the Tipsy Seagull, 1 Ferry St., and take off under the Braga Bridge at 12:30 p.m.

Democrats are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. 

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren told CNN's "State of the Union" Harris is ready to lead the nation and is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump.  She said Harris has a record of fighting for working families and is leading the push to restore abortion rights following the end of Roe v. Wade. 

Warren added that Trump's running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has pushed for no exceptions for abortion for rape or incest. 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Stop & Shop opened its delis back up on Friday after temporarily shutting them down to address concerns over the recent recall of certain Boar’s Head meat products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the recall Friday for various ready-to-eat meats that were produced by the major deli supplier between June 11 and July 17 for possible listeria contamination.

In response, Stop & Shop temporarily closed its in-store delis so workers could remove the recalled products and deep clean the equipment.

“Ensuring the safety of the products we sell is our highest priority, and our deli associates are ready to serve our communities,” a Stop & Shop spokesperson said in a statement.

Stop & Shop also discarded other meats and cheeses that may have been sliced or prepared near the recalled products out of an abundance of caution.

See more at wpri.com.

The bankrupt Steward Health Care said Friday that it is closing two of its hospitals here in the next month or so — Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer — that received no qualified bids in its sales process.

"Over the past several months, Steward Health Care has been actively working to sell or transition all its Massachusetts hospitals and we are in active final negotiations to sell six of them. Despite the extensive sale process, which involved close coordination with lenders and regulators, there were no qualified bids for two hospitals, Carney Hospital and Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and, unfortunately, they will be closing on or around August 31, 2024," the company said Friday morning. "This is a challenging and unfortunate situation, and the effect it will have on our patients, our employees, and the communities we serve is regrettable. We will do all we can to ensure a smooth transition for those affected while continuing to provide quality care to the patients we will continue to serve."

Gov. Maura Healey, who said her goal was to protect jobs and access to care at all of Steward's eight hospital facilities in Massachusetts, said Friday morning: "This is not over."

Read more at heraldnews.com.

State gas prices fell for the second consecutive week and reached an average of $3.47 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, down from last week's price of $3.49 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The average fuel price in state has risen about 7 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 1% higher at $3.53 per gallon.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

DARTMOUTH — For the first time this year, West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitos collected in Dartmouth. According to The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the mosquitos carrying the virus were collected in the Northeast section of Dartmouth.

“This is about the time of year that we expect to start finding West Nile virus in mosquitoes,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD in a release. “It is an important reminder that people should take steps to prevent mosquito bites. WNV can cause serious illness and there are simple things that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Although people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease, it can infect people of all ages. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When infected you may experience a fever and flu-like illness.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A manufacturing problem appears to be the reason for the catastrophic break of a turbine blade in the Vineyard Wind offshore project that caused the giant blade to fold over and pieces to break off into the ocean, according to an executive with the blade's manufacturing company, GE Vernova.

During a quarterly earnings webcast Wednesday morning, GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik brought up the July 13 incident south of the Islands. While the company has yet to finalize its root cause analysis, he reported that the investigation so far "indicates that the affected blade experienced a manufacturing deviation."

Read more at heraldnews.com.

FALL RIVER — It costs big bucks for a community to manage its municipal waste, and Mayor Paul Coogan's administration and the City Council are looking for ways to cut its $8 million to $9 million annual bill while still collecting and disposing of trash and recycling. 

Changes have already begun, through efforts of the solid waste team Coogan assembled about 1½ years ago.

The city’s special counsel, Matthew Thomas, Director of City Operations Al Oliveira and Department of Community Maintenance Director Charlie Denmead last week briefed members of the Committee on Health and Environmental Affairs on those changes and its plans to reduce trash and disposal costs.

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

Boaters will gather this upcoming Saturday for Aquapalooza – an approximate 15-year celebration of summer held the last weekend of July along Prudence Island.

Meanwhile, law enforcement will be on patrol to make sure everyone is safe.

Allison O’Connor, communication office for Portsmouth Police, said that the department will rely on mutual aid from the United States Coast Guard, state police and the Department of Environmental Management, as well as Bristol, Warwick and Providence police forces to safeguard all boaters and revelers.

"Our main priority is to make sure everyone is safe,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor said in 2023 the weather was bad but boaters still gathered for the event. She said there were two boating under the influence citations, but the day went smoothly otherwise.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The state House of Representatives has voted to ban the use of elephants and big cats at the circus and other touring events.  

The House vote was unanimous, and the measure would not apply to zoos or places where the animals are considered residents.

Animal rights activists have been pushing Massachusetts lawmakers to enact such a ban for decades.  

If the bill is also approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, Massachusetts would be the eleventh state to ban the use of large animals in traveling shows.

Thomas Hargis and Lyndsey Kieta saw a fellow human being in great distress and knew they had to help. They struggle to explain how they remained so calm in doing so.

Hargis, 20, a lifeguard at the Fall River YMCA, and Kieta, 38, a Y member, both performed CPR on member Paul Chasse on the afternoon of July 11 after the 53-year-old man suffered a severe cardiac episode, eventually going into cardiac arrest, in the second-floor fitness room at the Y.

Chasse, a Fall River resident, was hospitalized and had a defibrillator implanted. He was released from Charlton Memorial Hospital this past Sunday and is “doing well,” according to his daughter, Cassandra McElroy.

McElroy said Hargis and Kieta “are amazing. Myself and family are truly grateful that they were not only there but they stepped in and saved a man's life that they didn't know. They are heroes.”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Governor Maura Healey is tightening the rules in the state emergency shelter system. 

Healey yesterday announced major changes to the system as the state grapples with a lack of shelter space and funding for the program. 

The new rules will limit the length of stays in overflow shelters to five days, and create new priority lists for stays in permanent shelter sites. 

Previous rules allowed families to stay in overflow shelters for up to 30 days with the ability to reapply.

Vehicle inspections will resume today in Massachusetts. 

The state Department of Transportation says its systems that were crippled by last week's global IT outage are now restored. 

Owners who failed inspections before July 19th are being given until August tenth to get their vehicle retested. 

The global tech problems also impacted hospitals, airlines and financial institutions in the state.

Governor Maura Healey says bids were made on all of the operating hospitals owned by bankrupt Steward Health Care. 

Steward operates eight hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. 

The auction was held in private over a week ago, and Healey's comments yesterday was the first information released about what happened.  Healey says qualified bids are being evaluated.  

Two more state troopers associated with the Karen Read case are now under internal affairs investigation. 

The troopers are Lieutenant Brian Tully and Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik, and the investigation is over possible violations of department policies. 

State Police are confirming the investigation, and say both remain on full duty at this time. 

The troopers are based at the Norfolk District Attorney's office, which is prosecuting Read over the death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe.  

A 22-year-old New Bedford woman has been arraigned in the case of “Baby Doe,” a male infant found dead at Fort Taber Park in December. 

Daniela Michell Escobar-Mejia, the infant’s mother, faces a single charge of improper disposal of a body. She was arraigned in New Bedford District Court and released on personal recognizance.  

She was also ordered to abide by all orders of the Department of Children and Families while the case is pending.  

Escobar-Mejia is due back in court for a pretrial conference on Sept. 12. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A woman is avoiding prison in her sentence for calling in a hoax bomb threat against Boston Children's Hospital. 

Prosecutors say Catherine Leavy made the threat in August of 2022, which is when law enforcement began monitoring numerous threats received by the hospital. 

It was believed the threats were related to a program at the hospital for gender diverse and transgender adolescents. 

Leavy previously pleaded guilty to making a false bomb threat and conveying false information, and was sentenced to three years of probation yesterday.

The retrial of Karen Read in connection with the death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe is scheduled for January 27th. 

The judge in Norfolk Superior Court also scheduled a hearing for August ninth on a defense motion to dismiss two of the three charges, including second-degree murder. 

Read's attorneys say the jury had agreed on not guilty verdicts on those two charges, but did not make the judge aware of those decisions. 

The judge ordered a mistrial July first after jurors declared themselves deadlocked over the 2022 death of O'Keefe in Canton.

Massachusetts delegates to the Democratic National Convention have voted to support Kamala Harris as the party's nominee. 

The vote yesterday by the 116-member slate of delegates came just one day after President Biden dropped out of the race. 

Governor Maura Healey motioned for the vote yesterday, and says it's important that Democrats play as a team.  Healey, Senator Elizabeth Warren and other prominent Democrats spoke to delegates in support of Harris before they voted.

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) — Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss on Sunday hailed President Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid as a patriotic move and immediately threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the party’s ticket.

“We are going to put this forward to the American people and say, 70% of you said you wanted a change at the top of both tickets — Democrats have responded by passing the torch,” Auchincloss told 12 News. “Republicans responded with a convention that was a mosh pit on top of a human hand grenade.”

See more at wpri.com.

After three months of deliberations, the school district recently approved a balanced budget that will keep Fort Barton open, call back one-third of staff members who received layoff notices in the spring and use $285,000 of casino revenue to pay for technology and textbooks. 

However, the good budget news is not the same for the Fire Department. In a Facebook post, the department mentioned that veteran firefighters, unlike new staff members, will receive a 0% increase in pay and the issue is headed for arbitration. 

That said, the promised salary for incoming fire personnel will likely be altered, according to the official Tiverton Firefighter's Facebook post.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Vineyard Wind is continuing to collect debris from an offshore wind blade that failed more than a week ago.  The debris has washed ashore along Nantucket's southern beaches and near Monomoy Island southwest of Chatham. 

In a Sunday update, Vineyard Wind said the Nantucket Harbormaster reported that more debris from the turbine blade was located offshore near Madequecham Valley Road. 

Beach crews have been dispatched to assist in maintaining safe conditions for beachgoers and swimmers. Vineyard Wind says only its employees, contractors and those appointed by town officials should handle and recover debris materials. 

 A man is dead and another is in custody following a stabbing in a park in Brockton. 

Police say 39-year-old Edmar Goncalves of Fall River died at the hospital shortly after the stabbing at Finnegan Park Saturday night. 

Police arrested 46-year-old Johnny Richmond at the scene, and have not yet released the charges he will face.  Police say that it does not appear that the stabbing is a random act.

The Karen Read case involving the death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe is back in court today. 

This is the first court hearing since Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial in Read's trial on July first. 

Prosecutors believe Read killed O'Keefe by hitting him with her SUV in Canton, and she says others killed O'Keefe and she's being framed. 

Read is charged with second degree murder, manslaughter with a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.

According to a poll Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's job approval rating is at 45 percent, down from 52 percent in May. 

The University of New Hampshire poll also shows 46 percent disapprove of the governor's job performance, up from 38 percent in May. 

The poll taken earlier this month has a four percent margin of error. 

A popular Irish sports pub in Bristol County will soon close. 

After 11 years, the Dublin Rose in Seekonk will shut its doors for the final time on September 1st. 

The pub on Fall River Avenue will be demolished to make way for a Whole Foods Market.  It's unclear if the pub will relocate elsewhere in Seekonk. 

A 45-year-old Fall River man is charged in connection with multiple robberies in 30 minutes. 

Police were called to two convenience stores and a Family Dollar store Thursday morning. 

Police said William Bruce fled the convenience stores with undisclosed amounts of cash, however, he left the Family Dollar store empty-handed when he was questioned by the clerk.

WESTPORT, Mass. (WPRI) — Westport Animal Control warned residents Friday that a woodchuck and two raccoons recently tested positive for rabies.

The woodchuck was discovered on Sanford Road, while the racoons were found on Christopher Circle and Division Road.

It’s unclear exactly when these rabid animals were reported or if anyone had direct contact with them.

Residents are urged to take the following precautions:

• Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies
• Keep an eye on your pets while spending time outside
• Do not feed or approach wildlife
• Seek medical help immediately if bitten or scratched by a wild animal

Read more at wpri.com.

About two-thirds of Democrats or left-leaning voters in Massachusetts want President Biden to end his bid for a second term. 

A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found those who want Biden to withdraw would also prefer a younger candidate. 

The poll was conducted this week and has a margin of error of 4-point-4 percent. 

The construction of the $135 million Route 79-Davol St. Corridor Improvements Project is fully designed and about three months ahead of schedule, with no major problems. It still set to be completed sometime in 2026. 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s project manager Valerie Kilduff and city engineer and Planner Dan Aguiar related that information to the City Council on Tuesday.

The only item outstanding on design, said Kilduff, was the landscaping design for the new waterfront corridor. 

“Which Dan and I are feverishly trying to work through," said Kilduff. "I am hoping that’s going to be ironed out by the end of the summer. That needs to happen so we can order the landscaping.”

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

Major airlines, media companies, banks and telecoms firms around the world reported systems outages Friday that were disrupting their operations.

In the U.S., hundreds of flights were canceled Friday morning. American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines were among those who grounded flights less than an hour after Microsoft said it resolved a cloud-services-related outage that impacted several low-cost carriers.

Public transit systems in the U.S. reported impacts. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington D.C. said its "website and some of our internal systems are currently down," but that trains and buses were running as scheduled. In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority also said it's buses and trains were unaffected but that "some MTA customer information systems are temporarily offline due to a worldwide technical outage."

Read more at heraldnews.com.

More of the Vineyard Wind GE Vernova turbine blade has fallen into the ocean south of Nantucket. 

The company reported Thursday that a "significant part" of the remaining blade detached from the turbine and a fleet of vessels remains at sea to manage the situation and remove bulk debris.

The company says it has deployed additional crews to Nantucket Island because more debris could wash ashore, and they are continuing to monitor additional coastal communities.

Vineyard Wind says it is following GE Vernova's efforts to manage the situation, including the removal and recovery of the remaining blade attached to the turbine.

Attorneys for Karen Read say a fifth juror is confirming that they reached not guilty verdicts on two of the three charges in her trial. 

Attorney Alan Jackson says a fifth juror confirms that they were not guilty of second degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly crash before a mistrial was declared. 

The defense now wants those two charges dismissed in the case over the death of Boston Police officer John O'Keefe in Canton in 2019.  Prosecutors say Read killed her boyfriend O'Keefe with her SUV, while the defense claims she's being framed by corrupt cops.

Community Autism Resources is excited to announce they  are hosting their first golf tournament, “Par For CAR”, this October.

It will be October 18th at the Olde Scotland Links Golf Course, 695 Pine Street in Bridgewater, MA.

Located in Taunton, Community Autism Resources is the local autism support center in the South Coast, Southeastern and Cape & Island regions of Massachusetts. ALL the proceeds raised from this tournament will go directly to support autistic individuals and their families in their service region.

If you are interested in being a sponsor they have various sponsorship levels available. 

For more information, reach out to Lindsay Stonkus
at LStonkus@community-autism-resources.com.

To donate or buy tickets, please visit: https://givebutter.com/ParForCAR.

To learn more about Community Autism Resources and this event, please visit the website at http://community-autism-resources.com.

Community Autism Resources receives funding from the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), but they rely on donations and sponsorships to ensure that support and services are provided at no cost to the
families that live right here in your community!

The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a suspension order to Vineyard Wind as it investigates the July 13 failure of a blade failure.

Under the order, the company must cease all power production from all its wind turbine generators and suspend any new turbine installation. BSEE says it is conducting an independent assessment of the incident to ensure the safety of future offshore renewable energy operations.

So far, no human or animal injuries have been reported but material from the damaged turbine is being found on south-side Nantucket beaches.

Meanwhile,  Vineyard Wind issued a statement Wednesday evening, saying there has been an "observed compromise" to the integrity of the GE Vernova blade. The company says while part of the blade remains attached to the turbine, there is an increased possibility that it may detach soon. 

The announcement followed a weekend blade failure that washed pieces of a damaged blade onto some southern Nantucket beaches. 

A 500-meter safety zone has now been set-up around the turbine and it's under constant surveillance. The company has mobilized its response team, and it has seen new debris entering the water.

The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who leaked classified documents while stationed at Joint Base Cape Cod will face a military court-martial. 

U.S. Air Force Jack Teixeira is being charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and will be tried at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. 

No court date has been announced. 

Earlier this year, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six federal counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. 

He is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in September.

A Taunton man is sentenced to spend between two and four years in prison for the robbery of a bank in Raynham. 

Prosecutors say John St. Onge entered the Rockland Trust Bank on New State Highway and passed a teller a note claiming to have a bomb and demanding cash. 

St. Onge was arrested a short time after the robbery in March following a slow speed pursuit.  He will receive credit for 127 days of time served awaiting trial towards his sentence.

Police are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred in the city Wednesday afternoon.

According to Fall River Police spokesperson Sgt. Moses Pereira, two pedestrians were struck by "a large moving van" at around noon Wednesday at the 200 block of Joseph Drive, located off Meridian Street.

One of the pedestrians was pronounced dead at the scene, police say. The other has been transported to a local trauma center with significant, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Fall River Police Major Crimes Division in collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

FALL RIVER — City taxpayers won’t have a say on how Fall River will pay for its portion of the new and nearly $300 million Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School after the City Council Tuesday voted down putting the matter on the ballot in November. 

The ballot question, proposed by Mayor Paul Coogan’s administration, would have given voters a choice of whether the city would pay the annual bond payments for the school project through a debt exclusion for the life of the bond, a yes vote, or whether to take the at least $6.5 million in annual bond payments from the general fund, a no vote.

In the end, most councilors had little appetite to send the question to voters. After debating the issue during the Committee on Finance meeting, City Council president Joseph Camara; and councilors Shawn Cadime, Michelle Dionne, Cliff Ponte, Andrew Raposo and Laura Sampson opposed the proposed ballot question.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

All of Nantucket's south shore beaches have been closed to swimming because debris from a broken wind turbine is washing ashore. 

The Town advises beach visitors to leave their pets at home and wear appropriate footwear when walking along the beach because some of the debris includes sharp fiberglass fragments.

Vineyard Wind says debris recovery efforts are underway on the beaches following a blade damage incident from one of its offshore wind turbines on Saturday.

In addition, Vineyard Wind is continuing to monitor the offshore area for floating debris with flight and vessel patrols.

During a Tuesday press conference, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said now that a billion dollars in federal funding has been secured, the Cape Cod bridge replacement project can start moving forward. 

The governor says the additional funding from the state brings the dedicated total to more than 1-point-7-billion-dollars.

The governor was joined by Representative Bill Keating and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

The governor says when completed, the new bridges are going to create jobs and business opportunities for residents across the Cape and the region. She says the replacement project will create an estimated nine-thousand construction jobs.

Massachusetts Congressman Bill Keating says the shooting of former President Trump was a serious lapse by the Secret Service.  Keating says that is not his opinion, and it's the reality of the situation. 

The ninth district Democrat from Bourne says the serious lapse will be looked into by Congress in the near future. 

Keating says it's fortunate that the violence aimed at the former president was not successful.

The Massachusetts State Senate will vote Thursday on a voluminous 115-page healthcare oversight reform bill in part inspired by the crisis at Steward Health Care.

This year, the House and Senate wrote bills to try to prevent similar problems from festering under the surface. The two bills remain significantly different. They only have 16 days to create and vote on a compromise bill when lawmakers are required to suspend any major business for the remainder of the two-year term.

The Senate bill would require private equity firms associated with healthcare providers to participate in the annual cost trends process, and allow regulators to audit not just hospitals' financial documents but out-of-state parent organizations, private equity owners, and real estate investment trusts.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Taunton Police are asking the public for help in locating a woman who has been missing for weeks. 

Police say 37-year-old Amanda Brown was last seen in early June, and has ties to the Boston, Fall River and New Bedford areas. 

Brown is described as a white female with brown and gray hair who is five-feet, four-inches tall and weighs around 100 pounds. 

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact Taunton Police.  

Bankrupt hospital operator Steward Health Care paid nine executives over a million-dollars each in the year before filing for bankruptcy. 

Steward founder and CEO Ralph de la Torre earned well over three-million-dollars in the 12 months before the filing in May. 

The large salaries continued to be paid by Seward while payments to dozens of vendors and medical suppliers were stopped. 

Steward owns more than 30 hospitals, including two in Boston and six others in Massachusetts.

A New Bedford man died, and his passenger seriously injured, following a late-night crash this past weekend in Assonet.

The Freetown Communications Center received a 911 call at approximately 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 14, reporting a serious single-vehicle crash on Copicut Road, near the intersection of Bell Rock Road.

According to Freetown Police, first responders arrived to find a 1997 Jeep Wrangler that had crashed into the wood line. They located the seriously injured 29-year-old-male passenger outside the vehicle, who was then transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.

The 28-year-old driver, Edmund Arsenault Jr., of New Bedford, was ejected from the vehicle and discovered unresponsive. He was transported to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, where he was later pronounced dead.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Freetown Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

From heraldnews.com.

FALL RIVER — The 2025 Fall River mayoral election is 16 months away, but it looks like one potential candidate is dipping his toe into campaign headwaters early. 

Carlos Cesar, the longtime president of the Flint Neighborhood Association and a vacation guide, filed a statement of organization to run for mayor with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance in May. 

The OCPF posted Cesar’s organizing a committee for mayor on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after he filed notification with campaign finance. 

Cesar did not immediately return a request for comment, but the OCPF filing indicates that Jeffrey Gaudreau is the chairman of the committee and John Sylvia is the treasurer. 

A June campaign finance report shows that Cesar has $25 in his account that he loaned himself. 

He lists his political affiliation as unenrolled.

Learn more at heraldnews.com.

DARTMOUTH — Posed with costly long-term repairs to the 136-year-old Ash Street Jail, Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux is renewing his call to close it and move all inmates to the Dartmouth house of correction.

The jail's brick work was recently checked by a structural engineering firm.

It found no immediate safety issue, but did recommend temporary repair measures before winter, and permanent repairs within a few years.

Heroux said the short-term fix will cost about $35,000 but the long-term fix will cost over $3.8 million.

He said it doesn't make sense to spend $3.8 million on a building that's costing about $5 million a year to operate.

The move will also improve safety, he said.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A Fall River Police Department K-9 officer was placed on leave after he was arrested last week on several domestic-related charges and improper storage of his city-issued firearms. 

Marc Correia, 32, was arraigned in Fall River District Court on Friday after his arrest by Fall River police. He is charged with felony witness intimidation; felony improper storage of a large-capacity firearm near a minor; and misdemeanor assault and battery on a family member.

Correia was released on personal recognizance by Fall River District Court Judge Kevin J. Finnerty. 

Fall River Police Chief Paul Gauvin confirmed Friday that Correia was on administrative leave from the department with pay. 

A Fall River Police Department Facebook post indicates that Correia and his police dog, Satu, trained with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department in June 2021.

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

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been awarded nearly a billion dollars in federal funding for the replacement of the Cape Cod bridges.

The funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Bridge Investment Program brings the total amount of federal funding to nearly one-point-72-billion-dollars along with 700-million in state funding.

Governor Maura Healey says the federal funds are a game-changing award and Massachusetts has never been closer to rebuilding the bridges than now. 

Massachusetts senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are condemning the shooting of former President Trump. 

Warren and Markey are Democrats and both are regular critics of Trump.  However, both are condemning the Pennsylvania attack on Trump and all political violence in general. 

Warren and Markey also say they're pleased the former president is safe.  

Congressman Seth Moulton says no matter how much people may disagree on politics, violence is never acceptable. 

Governor Maura Healey says political violence has no place in this country, and it must be condemned by all. 

Boston Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley says she condemns this brazen act of violence in the strongest terms and is praying for all who are impacted.

DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WPRI) — The Dartmouth Police Department is warning residents about a phone scam.

Police said the scam call claims to be from a sergeant informing the victim they missed jury duty and there’s a warrant out for their arrest.

The caller then provides multiple ways for the victim to pay to clear the warrant, otherwise an officer will be at their home soon to arrest them.

“The caller used a specific name of someone at our department, ‘badge number,’ ‘report number,’ and even spoofed their phone number to make it look like it came from our station,” Dartmouth police posted on Facebook.

Police say they don’t call people to tell them there’s a warrant out for their arrest.

Anyone who received this call is urged to report it to investigators at (508) 910-1735.

From wpri.com.

“I knew right away, as soon as I heard the pop, that it was gunfire.” 

Former Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson said he was watching the rally being held by former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon when shots rang out.  

According to USA Today reports, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was injured in the ear after a rooftop sniper opened fire on the rally with an AR-15-style rifle. The Secret Service said one spectator was killed and two others critically injured. Images of the aftermath showed Trump bleeding from the right side of his head. 

Hodgson, a longtime Trump supporter, is the chairman of the Trump 2024 campaign in Massachusetts. He spoke by phone while traveling to this week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While he was shocked by the violence, he said, he was inspired by Trump’s demeanor after the attack. 

“What an amazing guy," Hodgson said. “He gets shot, he goes down, he comes back up and he’s telling the Secret Service to pause because he wants people to know that we’re going to persevere.”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Swimmers beware, great white sharks are lurking in waters close to Cape Cod beaches. 

Recent sightings reported by the Sharktivity app have included a shark 100 feet off Chatham's North Beach Island, 59 yards off Nauset Outer Beach in Orleans and 50 yards off Nauset Beach, also in Orleans. 

According to experts the number of sharks in local waters is expected to increase as the seal population grows.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island has won a $251 million federal grant to repair 15 bridges along the I-95 corridor in Providence and Cranston, the state’s congressional delegation announced Friday.

The money from the federal Bridge Investment Program — established under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law — is separate from the state’s request for a $221 million federal “Mega” grant to help pay for the new westbound Washington Bridge. That request is pending.

Separately, Massachusetts officials announced Friday that the Bay State is being awarded nearly $1 billion to repair the Cape Cod bridges, also funded by the Bridge Investment Program.

Read more at wpri.com.

As a new study suggests the toxic “forever” chemicals known as PFAS can pass through the skin at higher rates than previously thought, firefighters facing elevated rates of cancer are questioning Massachusetts lawmakers’ efforts on their behalf. 

“This is beyond disgraceful,” Diane Cotter, the wife of a Worcester firefighter knocked off the job by cancer, said of a response staff for House Speaker Ronald Mariano gave the Telegram & Gazette to questions about languishing legislation.

Cotter, called a firefighter’s “hero” by the country’s largest fire union, has been pushing legislation since 2018 that would ban PFAS — short for polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances — from firefighting turnout gear. 

PFAS, which coat everything from nonstick pans to water- and heat-resistant clothing and personal care products, are increasingly raising alarm at the national level, with billions in lawsuits pending over increasing scientific links to cancer and other serious illness.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) — Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss on Thursday expressed grave doubts about whether President Biden can defeat Donald Trump in the November election, though he stopped short of calling for Biden to abandon his campaign.

“What I’m hearing is that everyday Americans in the Massachusetts 4th [Congressional District] have deep and unaddressed doubts about President Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in November and to discharge the duties of his office in his second term,” Auchincloss said during a live interview on 12 News at 4 with anchor Kim Kalunian.

He said he’s hearing the same concerns up and down the 4th District, “from Fall River through Brookline.”

Read more at wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — Things have been busy as usual this summer at the Forever Paws animal shelter, but when they got a call from New Bedford animal control on Monday that 21 dogs were seized from a home in that city, the population of shelter dogs doubled at the Lynwood Street facility. 

And as the Forever Paws staff work to help the new canine residents, as well as the many other creatures currently in their care, they are looking to the SouthCoast community for help. 

Gail Furtado, president of Forever Paws, said that on Wednesday veterinarian Jaqueline Brito was at the shelter all day assessing the New Bedford rescue dogs. Furtado said the staff isn't sure if the dogs are full bred, but appear to be at least part French bulldog.

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

The ongoing lawsuit between the Lizzie Borden House and Miss Lizzie’s Coffee has turned ugly, with the owner of Miss Lizzie’s claiming a witness has intimidated him on the museum’s instructions, trying to bully him into bankruptcy.  

US Ghost Adventures, which owns the museum and bed-and-breakfast at 230 Second St., last year sued its cafe neighbor at 242 Second St., alleging that Miss Lizzie’s Coffee is violating Lizzie Borden-related trademarks that USGA owns. USGA has filed statements from employees and customers claiming people have mistakenly believed the two businesses are related. 

In a brief filed Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Miss Lizzie’s Coffee owner Joseph Pereira writes that a witness for US Ghost Adventures has posted Pereira’s “criminal record throughout the Internet and [sent] copies to several vendors and agencies that [Pereira] uses” in an attempt to embarrass him.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

SWANSEA, Mass. (WPRI) — The three Massachusetts men accused of robbing a courier at gunpoint outside of a Swansea bank earlier this year are facing new charges.

Steven Madison, Christopher White and Quentin McDonald were indicted Wednesday for robbery interfering with interstate commerce, which is also referred to as a Hobbs Act robbery, arson of a vehicle affecting interstate commerce and conspiracy.

Madison and White have also been charged with brandishing a firearm while committing a crime of violence, unlawfully possessing a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

See more at wpri.com.

Hydrangeas one of the top ornamental plants in the country - but they have a special place in Cape Cod. Dubbed the signature plant of the area, the naturally acidic soil and mild winters of coastal regions are conducive to the growth and color of this popular perennial. There's even an annual hydrangea festival.

Coming in a variety of colors including blue, green, pink, purple, red and white, depending on the type, the hydrangeas are particularly vivid this summer.

But what determines this variety of colors in one plant? And how come sometimes different blooms on the same plant can be different colors?

Learn more at heraldnews.com.

SWANSEA — There was just something about the five horses featured on a rescue site that captured the attention of Erin Babbitt, the owner of Stony Creek Farm in Swansea. 

The three female horses and two babies, one barely a month old now, were somewhere in Oklahoma, abused, starving and headed for a Canadian slaughterhouse, when Babbitt made the decision to rescue the animals. 

“I follow all the horse stuff on Facebook. The adoptions, the auctions, all the horses going to slaughter. I’ve been following it for years,” said Babbitt. “I’ve never actually rescued horses from there. This group came across and I said I’ve got to help them. I’ve got to do something.”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A fourth juror has come forward to confirm they voted to acquit Karen Read of murder charges. 

Read is accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with her SUV and leaving him for dead. 

Earlier this week her lawyers filed a motion to dismiss two charges in the case after the judge declared a mistrial.  Today they said the most recent juror to speak out confirms the jury voted unanimously to acquit Read on charges of second-degree murder and other charges. 

South Coast Rail is a major feat of engineering and politicking that has taken decades to see through — the long-promised return of passenger rail to Fall River, Taunton and New Bedford. But what began as a promise in 1991 and which will carry riders to Boston in a little under a year is still “incomplete.”  

What's opening in spring of 2025 is only Phase 1.

South Coast Rail has a second phase, known to the MBTA as the “Full Build.” It promises a faster, more direct, more environmentally friendly trip to Boston with more stations, including one at Fall River’s Battleship Cove — overall, a better product.  

It may never happen.

Among the skeptics is Jackson Moore-Otto, the regional rail lead at the Boston public transportation advocacy group TransitMatters. 

“I think maybe that’s a little bit bold to assume that there will be a Phase 2 without continued advocacy, just to be completely honest about the funding and political picture," he said.

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

A Taunton man was back in court Tuesday to face charges in a crash that killed a Fall River woman earlier this year.

Ricky Jorge Ponte, 29, was arraigned on charges from a recent Bristol County Grand Jury indictment.

He pleaded not guilty to manslaughter while OUI, OUI liquor resulting in serious injury, leaving the scene of personal injury and death, and leaving the scene of personal injury.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The judge in the Karen Read murder trial that ended in a mistrial has impounded the list of jurors for at least ten days. 

Judge Beverly Cannone says jurors in the case involving the death of Boston cop John O'Keefe in Canton could be exposed to harm if the list is released to the public. 

The order came as the defense filed their own motion alleging that the jury had reached not guilty verdicts for second degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.  The defense claims the only charge where the jury deadlocked was on OUI manslaughter.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — An investigation is underway after six people were hurt in a shooting overnight in New Bedford.

Police said they responded to the area of Monte Park on Acushnet Avenue around 1 a.m. Monday and found three adults with gunshot wounds.

While they were being transported to the hospital, police learned that three additional victims had driven to the hospital on their own.

Asst. Deputy Chief Scott Carola told 12 News their injuries are not life-threatening and all six victims are expected to recover.

“We’re just really thankful that nobody was killed,” Carola said.

See more at wpri.com.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — Office announced Monday.A New Bedford man will serve five to six years in state prison for drug dealing, the Bristol County District Attorney’s

Demingo Browning, 49, pleaded guilty to trafficking more than 36 grams of cocaine.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, Browning has an extensive history of drug dealing and was being investigated by detectives for operating a cocaine distribution service out of his Liberty Street apartment.

While executing a search warrant on Browning’s apartment on Nov. 9, 2021, officers reportedly found a large bag of cocaine weighing 110 grams on the couch. Police said they also found digital scales, cut-corner baggies, and packaging materials.

Read more at wpri.com.

The lead investigator in the Karen Read murder case has been suspended without pay for his behavior in the case.  Michael Proctor will remain off the job as the internal affairs investigation into his actions continues. 

Proctor is accused of making vulgar comments about Read while investigating her for the Canton death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe in 2022. 

The suspension was ordered after a closed door hearing yesterday before three commissioned State Police officers.

As a new deadline for bids looms for Steward Health Care to sell its eight Massachusetts hospitals — including Good Samaritan in Brockton, Morton in Taunton and Saint Anne's in Fall River — the state's senators — the state's senators urged the companies who own the facilities' real estate to sweeten the deal for prospective buyers.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, both Democrats, asked executives of Medical Properties Trust (MPT) and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (MIP) to "offer long-term reductions in lease payments, early termination of leases, or other concessions to ensure that new operators can be found to keep Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals "open and viable."

The senators' concerns come amid worries that buyers won't come forward, leaving residents who rely on the hospitals and the people who work at them in limbo. Last month, Steward pushed back its bid deadline for Steward's nine Massachusetts hospitals to July 15, according to court documents filed by the Boston-born but now Dallas-based company.

“The ability of these hospitals to emerge from bankruptcy under new ownership with stable finances will represent a significant public health victory for these communities, allowing their dedicated workers to continue to provide needed health care services."

Read more at heraldsnews.com.

Mashpee Police say a 24-year-old New Bedford man is recovering after a weekend stabbing in Attaquin Park. 

Police were called at around 2:00 Sunday morning and they learned that the victim was being taken to a hospital in a passenger car.

Officers located the vehicle near the Mashpee-Falmouth town line and provided first-aid until an ambulance arrived to take the victim to the hospital. 

Investigators secured a crime scene at the park, and they are asking anyone with information to call police.

NEW BEDFORD — After a number of legislators sent a letter to U.S. Inspector General Joseph Cuffari questioning the "accuracy and effectiveness" of the gunshot detection system known as ShotSpotter, a group of Massachusetts police chiefs — including New Bedford's — penned a letter of their own urging support for the technology.

In their letter to the inspector general, U.S. Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) wrote: "We request that the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigate DHS’s spending of taxpayer dollars on ShotSpotter, including potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating based on race, color, and national origin."

The legislators noted that communities receive funding through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "to deploy the ShotSpotter system" from company SoundThinking.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

During some of the darkest periods of modern history on the SouthCoast, Paul Walsh Jr. worked to shine the light of justice.

Walsh, who led the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office for 16 years in prosecuting several high-profile cases, and took unprecedented steps to lift what he called “the shroud of secrecy” that covered a shocking sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Diocese of Fall River, has died. He was 70. 

Walsh was a New Bedford native and the son of Dr. Paul “Doc” Walsh Sr., a dentist who entered politics at the local and state levels, becoming a prominent New Bedford School Committee member for 36 years, chairman of the state Racing Commission, and clerk magistrate of Wareham District Court.

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

An elderly man is due in court next month for being naked in the wave pool at Salem's Canobie Lake Park.   

Local police say officers were called to the scene shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday amid reports that a bather - later I.D.'d as 74-year-old John Carabello - was enjoying the water naked. 

Park sources say responding officers took the visibly intoxicated Massachusetts man into protective custody on a charge of indecent exposure.  Carabello reportedly apologized for his behavior, saying he'd been drinking at a local park before he hit the wave pool. 

A court date is pending.

MANSFIELD, Mass. (WPRI) — The Mansfield Fire Department said on social media that one of their engine trucks was struck by a tractor trailer Sunday morning.

The post said that around 4:30 a.m., Mansfield Engine 33 had responded to a crash on I-495 near exit 27 in Norton when it was struck.

The driver of the tractor trailer did not stop after the accident.

No fire fighters were inside the truck at the time of the crash and no one was injured.

The engine did have significant damage to the front passenger’s side of the vehicle.

The tractor trailer is described as having a white trailer with heavy damage to the front driver side of the tractor.

See more at wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — The millions the city received from the American Rescue Plan Act funding has afforded Fall River many infrastructure- and community-based projects it normally would not have been able to afford. 

It also has another benefit with an infusion of surplus money from the 2024 budget through interest earned on the one-time infusion of cash. 

Recently the city certified approximately $15.9 million in free cash, an amount far exceeding the numbers in previous years, which typically will be around the $3 million mark. 

In March, during his State of the City address, Mayor Paul Coogan said the city’s “rainy day fund” has grown from $10 million when he took office in 2020 to $26 million today.

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

Plymouth and Wareham are now listed as being under a moderate risk for Eastern equine encephalitis. 

State health officials say the virus was detected in mosquitoes in nearby Carver last week.  There have been no human cases of triple-E reported in Massachusetts since an outbreak about five years ago. 

Health department leaders are encouraging residents in Wareham and Plymouth to use insect repellent when heading outdoors.

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) — Six suspects, including three Fall River residents, have been charged following an investigation into the sex trafficking of three victims, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.

Christy Parker, 26, Cory Primo, 42, and Avvani Jeffers, 22, have each been charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, as well as sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy.

Levy said the other three suspects, Alexander Smalls, 25, Tyreik Reid, 20, and Tre’sean Reid, 21, are from South Carolina and are facing the same charges.

See more at wpri.com.

 The bodies of two missing kayakers were discovered in East Providence Friday, according to police.

The search for the missing men began around 8:30 a.m., when police said concerned family members reported that neither of them had returned home from kayaking Thursday night.

Police said one man’s body was found along the shoreline off of Bourne Avenue, and the other was located nearby several hours later.

Neither of the men have been identified and it’s unclear if foul play is suspected.

From wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — Thousands of residents were without power on Saturday morning, as National Grid reported an outage.

On Saturday, July 6, at around 9 a.m., according to the National Grid Outage Map, 4,946 National Grid customers were without power in Fall River.

As of 9:15 a.m., the number of people without power was reduced to 1,928.

The outage map also reported an estimated restoration of power at 10:30 a.m.

As of 9:45 a.m., there were no outages reported on the map for Fall River, and power appeared to be restored.

From heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton is calling on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race. 

Moulton yesterday became the third House Democrat to publicly call for Biden to step aside.  He says that the unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely mean the return of Donald Trump to the White House. 

The North Shore congressman says President Biden is not going to get any younger, and a new generation of leaders needs to be elevated.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — An attempted robbery sent four men to the hospital with knife-related injuries around midnight on Thursday.

Police said a group of suspects dressed in dark clothing tried to rob the victims near the intersection of Deane Street and North Front Street.

All four of the victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

From wpri.com.

 In a surprise development, no companies submitted bids to build the new westbound Washington Bridge once the deadline came and went on Wednesday, raising questions about what happens next with the massive project.

Companies looking to win the huge contract for the reconstruction job — valued at over $300 million — had to submit their bids by noon on Wednesday. A state portal shows none did so.

The lack of interest from firms in the project is a blow to Gov. Dan McKee and his advisers, who had announced earlier this year that they wanted a new bridge opened by August 2026, just a month before the governor will face Democratic primary voters for reelection. McKee had offered up to $10 million in incentives to companies if they got the job done more quickly.

Read more at wpri.com.

Governor Maura Healey is supporting the decision to relieve state trooper Michael Proctor of duty. 

Proctor admitted to serious misconduct during the trial of Karen Read, which ended with a mistrial on Monday. 

Healey says while she supports the decision, she says the matter is still under an internal affairs investigation so she cannot say much else. 

Proctor has had his gun, state vehicle and gear taken away, which officials say is standard when a trooper is relieved of duty.

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) — An investigation is underway into a fiery crash that killed a 36-year-old man in Seekonk Tuesday afternoon, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Troopers rushed to I-195 West near Exit 1 and found a three-car crash involving a box truck, tractor-trailer and an SUV.

Both the SUV and box truck caught fire as a result of the crash, sending a plume of thick black smoke into the sky.

Police said the driver of the SUV, which wound up crushed underneath the cab of the box truck, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the box truck, a 45-year-old Easton man, was brought to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries, according to police. The driver of the tractor-trailer, identified by police as a 31-year-old man from Hallandale, Florida, was not injured.

Traffic was backed up for miles as first responders sifted through the wreckage and cleared debris from the highway. Police said I-195 West was fully closed for several hours, but has since reopened.

From wpri.com.

TAUTON, Mass. (WPRI) — A 24-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after three people were stabbed in Taunton.

Police said they were called to Paul Bunker Drive around 1:20 p.m. Upon arrival, they found three men between the ages of 19 and 21 suffering from stab wounds.

They were taken to the hospital along with the suspect, who’s being treated for minor injuries, according to police.

Charges are pending against the suspect, who has not yet been identified.

Police said there’s no threat to the public since the four men know each other and the stabbing was not random.

More information will be released as the investigation continues.

From wpri.com.

FALL RIVER — Former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia II, asking a federal court in Boston to reduce his prison sentence, has shown the court about a dozen text messages between himself and his attorney Kevin Reddington that Correia claims prove his allegations of ineffective counsel during his 2021 fraud and corruption trial. 

Correia shared text messages that he claims show Reddington attempting to extort him for $50,000 and a percentage of an app company Correia owned.

Reddington denies any attorney misconduct. He said Correia's case started as a simple fraud case and became a complicated major corruption and extortion case, requiring additional money to retain his legal services and defend Correia in court.

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

FALL RIVER — South Coast Rail’s schedule is now a little bit clearer, with an MBTA spokesperson confirming to The Herald News that it will offer service on weekends. 

But it is still unknown how often during the weekend that service will run. 

“Seeing as ... South Coast Rail is an extension of the Middleborough line commuter rail service, on which weekend service is already scheduled and offered, it is not a question of whether weekend service will be provided, but rather at what levels,” said Maya Bingaman, MBTA communications manager.  

Bingaman said the MBTA is still developing and evaluating South Coast Rail’s overall schedule. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A plot to kill two prosecutors, a witness and rival gang members unraveled after the man who was supposed to carry out the murders became a federal informant.

Kareem Pires of Massachusetts pleaded not guilty Monday in Rhode Island U.S. District Court to his alleged role in the interstate murder plan. He’s accused of plotting to kill two rival gang members, along with a witness tied to a separate drug trafficking case against Elijah Melton, a co-defendant in the murder-for-hire conspiracy.

“The witness was to be killed with a firearm and the use of a silencer that [Pires] was to have provided,” assistant U.S. attorney Stacey Erickson said during Pires’ arraignment.

Erickson said Melton and Pires are fellow gang members in Brockton and they had also planned to kill two rivals as part of the scheme. Separately, Melton is also accused of plotting to kill two Massachusetts federal prosecutors. Melton is scheduled to be arraigned on July 10.

Read more at wpri.com.

DEDHAM, Mass. (WPRI) — Just hours after a deadlocked jury led the judge to declare a mistrial in the case of Karen Read, Massachusetts State Police announced that the lead investigator in John O’Keefe’s 2022 death has been relieved of his duties.

“Upon learning today’s result, the Department took immediate action to relieve Trooper Michael Proctor of duty and formally transfer him out of the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective’s Unit,” MSP Superintendent Col. John E. Mawn said in a statement, which the department also shared on social media.

Mawn added that Proctor’s testimony in the trial led state police to open an internal investigation into the officer’s “serious misconduct,” which is still ongoing.

See more at wpri.com.

Jurors in the Karen Read trial went home for the weekend after telling the judge Friday that they couldn’t agree, only to be told to keep trying.

The jury must decide whether prosecutors have proven that Read drunkenly and angrily slammed into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her Lexus SUV and left him to die. The defense challenged the evidence and suggested that one or more colleagues killed John O’Keefe, dumped his body outside in a panic and then framed Read to cover it up.

On their fourth day of deliberations in the two-month murder trial, a foreperson told the judge that they hadn’t reached a unanimous verdict despite an “exhaustive review of the evidence and our diligent consideration of all disputed evidence.”

But Judge Beverly Cannone told the six men and six women to take lunch and try again, and they did for several more hours. “Clear your heads, we’ll start fresh on Monday,” Cannone told them later Friday.

From wpri.com.

Six people – including three Fall River residents – are facing federal charges for allegedly operating a sex trafficking ring involving local underaged teens. 

 One of the alleged ring leaders was operating the illegal organization from a South Carolina jail where he was being held for attempted murder in 2023. 

A federal grand jury indicted on Thursday: Christy Parker, 26, of Fall River; and her boyfriend, Alexander Smalls, 25, of Beaufort County, S.C.; Cory Primo, 42, of Fall River; Avvani Jeffers, 22, of Fall River; Tre’sean Reid, 21, of Beaufort County, S.C.; and Tyreik Reid, 20, of Allendale, S.C. 

Tre’sean Reid and Tyreik Reid are the brothers of Smalls, who along with Parker, headed up the alleged trafficking ring. 

The six defendants are charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

One of the underage victims was reported to have been forced to have sex with more than 100 men, according to court records. Another of the minor victims was forced to have sex with five to six “johns” a day and earn $5,000 a night, according to court documents. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

ALL RIVER — Sometimes selling off city-owned properties can have a boomerang effect. Throw them out into the redevelopment universe and, sometimes, they come back. 

Here is the status of those properties, which include the Bank Street Armory; the former Bedford Street police station; the former Davol Elementary School in the Flint neighborhood; and the Silvia School on Hartwell Street, which has boomeranged back into city ownership for now.

The city’s legal stance to take back the former police station and the Silvia and Davol schools comes from reverter clauses contained in the properties' purchase and sales agreements. 

See moe from Jo C. Goode at heraldnews.com.