After months of the Bank Street Armory idling in a decayed state while the Historical Commission and the Preservation Society of Fall River were tasked with finding a purpose for the castle-like building, a new plan has been coined: a museum.

In January 2024, the City Council rejected a proposal to develop the 127-year-old historic structure — previously home to a volunteer militia, the National Guard, and Greater Fall River Re-Creation and YouthBuild when it came under city ownership in 1976 — into market-rate housing. 

At the time, the old armory was considered a space for veterans, as a tourist hub, or recreationally as an arts or event venue, while allowing the city to pursue grants and endowments to makeover the building.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The voting by mail option cost Massachusetts eight-million-dollars for last month's election. 

Secretary of State Bill Galvin says just under half of the three and a half million people who voted cast their ballot in person on Election Day.  The rest voted by mail or took advantage of early voting options. 

Around four-million-dollars was spent on incoming and outgoing postage for the mail in ballots, with nearly a million-dollars more spent to print the ballots.  

The old Bedford Street police station that has idled its way to disrepair is now being considered for demolition. Mayor Paul Coogan said he expects the current owners, Wethersfield LLC of Chelsea, to deed the property back to the city by Dec. 31, in lieu of foreclosure — and that it will likely be destroyed.

The city has agreed to return $15,000 of $20,000 that Wethersfield LLC paid in permits, in exchange for environmental reports and a waiver on the future value of the property. 

Wethersfield LLC purchased the dilapidated building at 158 Bedford St. for $10,000 in January 2021, with a plan to develop it into 35 market-rate units — a proposal that was approved by the Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals in July and filed with the city's Registry of Deeds in September 2022. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

In the aftermath of a fire that broke out Nov. 24 and destroyed the home at 7 Deer St., displacing Melissa McDonald and her daughter, Olivia DeMello, an outpouring of aid from local businesses, faith groups and members of the community has been “overwhelming.”  

A GoFundMe campaign created on McDonald's behalf recently topped $29,355 in donations. McDonald said she and her daughter have received over $5,000 in gift cards. Gift baskets and other considerate gestures, big and small, have been instrumental in rebuilding their lives.

“My main goal was to get Olivia on her feet,” McDonald said, adding that her daughter is a high school junior. “We ran out with literally what was on our backs, and no shoes.”

Read more a heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts leaders are reacting to the death of former President Jimmy Carter. 

Governor Maura Healey says Carter lived a life dedicated to peace, human rights, democracy and moral clarity. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren says Carter was a true public servant and peacemaker, and the country is a better place because of him. 

Congresswoman and Democratic whip Katherine Clark says Carter was a statesman and humanitarian, and as president he fought for the dignity of working families and the health of the planet.

Many new laws go into effect in Rhode Island on New Year's Day. 

The state's minimum wage is going up to 15-dollars an hour. 

There will be new taxes on vape products, and sales of flavored vape products will be banned. 

Another new law will prevent debt collectors from reporting medical debts to credit bureaus. 

Additionally, health insurers will be required to cover the full cost of life-saving EpiPens, and there will be a 150-dollar cap on a 30-day supply of certain drugs for rare medical conditions. 

Ruth, the beloved elephant at Buttonwood Park Zoo has died.

"It is with heavy hearts that the Buttonwood Park Zoo shares the passing of Ruth, a 66-year-old year Asian elephant who has called New Bedford home for the last 38 years. A beloved member of the Zoo family and icon throughout Greater New Bedford, Ruth was surrounded by her animal and veterinary care team at the time of her passing on Friday," said Sarah Henry, executive director, Buttonwood Park Zoological Society in a press release Saturday.

In October, BPZOO announced that Ruth had entered hospice care due to a consistent, age-related decline in her mobility. At that point in time, it was difficult to know how long she would remain comfortable.

“Ruth was beloved by so many,” BPZOO Interim Director Shara Rapoza said. “We wanted to invite the public into the process because while she means so much to our former and present animal care team, we also know that she touched countless others with her gentle nature, immense strength, and obvious intelligence. She is a symbol of compassion and resilience for so many.”

Ruth’s early life was spent as part of a herd at Benson’s Wild Animal Farm before being sold to a private owner in the late 1970s. She spent several years as an “elephant for hire” until she was confiscated by the Boston Animal Rescue League. Ruth arrived at BPZOO in 1986 a little timid, and with a partial paralysis in the center portion of trunk. She had also been diagnosed with skeletal conformational abnormalities, resulting in an uneven distribution of pressure on parts of her feet and joints while walking and standing.

Read more at heraldnews,com.

If you’re hoping to start off 2025 on the right foot — or the left foot, for that matter — a New Year’s Day hike is just the thing.  

A few hours’ brisk walk through nature is an ideal way to shake the dust of 2024 off your feet. It also can be the starting point of a new habit to pick up in 2025, of enjoying the wealth of natural resources across the SouthCoast. 

There are a few options if you’re looking for first-day hikes, for everyone from beginners to old pros, including guided walks if you’ve never been on a trail before.

DCR started the First Day Hikes initiative at Blue Hills Reservation in Milton in 1992, which was was expanded nationally in 2012. This year, DCR is giving hikers First Day Hike winter hats and commemorative pins. 

On Jan. 1, the state DCR will host its 34th annual First Day Hikes program. Hikers can tag along with guides at 14 state parks across Massachusetts, from Cape Cod to Western Mass. A full list of First Day Hike locations is available at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/dcr-first-day-hikes.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts added more than 255-thousand immigrants since 2020, the second-highest rate per capita after Florida.  That's according to newly released Census data. 

Immigrants have offset the state's population loss due to residents moving to other states, contributing significantly to economic growth.

A Boston University report highlights immigrants' role in sustaining both high-skill and essential labor sectors, calling immigration "crucial" for Massachusetts.

With a high percentage of foreign-born residents, the state could face challenges under proposed federal immigration policies.

Hundreds of millions of people have seen the classic Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which turns 75 this year. For decades, families have gathered around the TV to watch Jimmy Stewart’s frustrated small-town hero learn the value of a life lived with integrity. George Bailey is as much a fixture of the modern holiday season as Santa Claus or Rudolph.

And, unknown to almost everyone watching, a Fall River native has played a small but key part of this Christmas tradition. 

"It’s a Wonderful Life” is the story of how one man never had the chance to leave his hometown to chase his childhood dreams, but accepted happiness in the twists and turns his life took. What follows is the story of a Fall River man who did leave his hometown to pursue his dreams, and discovered his own path to happiness.

Early in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” grief-stricken pharmacist Mr. Gower gazes upon a photo of his son, who has just died in the 1919 influenza pandemic. Blinded by tears, Mr. Gower accidentally puts poison in capsules meant for a sick child instead of medicine. A young George Bailey sees Mr. Gower’s mistake, and never delivers the capsules. George’s actions save this child’s life, and he never tells anyone about the mistake, preserving Mr. Gower’s dignity. It’s one of the first events in George Bailey’s young life that reveals the giving, empathetic man he’ll grow up to be.

The young man in the photo, portraying Mr. Gower’s son? That’s Glen Vernon of Fall River.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A one-time state grant of $426,443.53 from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Division of Housing and Stabilization, will bolster efforts to find overflow beds for the city’s homeless during winter months. 

“This funding will be used to provide essential services and rent rooms at the Dartmouth Motor Inn and the Capri Motel,” read a release from Steppingstone, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing comprehensive services to unhoused people.

The grant will be used to rent rooms at motels along Route 6 in Dartmouth, with $144,230 used to rent 10 double-occupancy rooms at the Capri Motel at 741 State Road, and to offer “supportive services,” read the release, such as daily meals for 17 weeks. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The SouthCoast Wind offshore energy farm has officially received a green light from the federal government, paving the way for a project that could spur development in Somerset. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced the approval on Friday, making SouthCoast Wind the 11th commercial-scale offshore wind farm OK’d under President Joe Biden’s tenure.  

SouthCoast Wind has leased area in federal waters about 30 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard to build a farm of wind turbines. For the past several years, it has planned to deliver its electricity via a substation in Somerset. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Dozens of Amazon packages were found abandoned in the woods of Lakeville. 

Around 80 unopened Amazon packages were spotted by a Lakeville police officer while on patrol near Bedford Street Sunday morning.  The large totes of packages were collected by police, then returned to an Amazon distribution center in Middleborough. 

Police say they have spoken to an Amazon driver who confessed to dumping the packages because of stress.  The driver will not be charged, as police say it's a human resources issue for Amazon and not a criminal matter.

Federal immigration officials are rejecting Governor Maura Healey's statement that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state. 

Todd Lyons with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the state could help remove egregious foreign born public safety threats by simply informing the agency of their arrests. 

While Healey was not specifically named, Lyons says many cities and towns in Massachusetts openly support sanctuary policies. 

Healey says she supports deporting violent foreigners, but is opposed to ICE rounding up groups of people believed to be here illegally.

A man was brought to the hospital after accidentally shooting his own leg during a pursuit on Saturday night, according to Fall River police.

Police said the man ran away from officers after they responded to reports of shots fired around the Sunset Hill Housing Development.

The man suffered not life-threatening injuries, according to police, and no officers shot their guns during this incident.

From wpri.com.

State gas prices fell for the second consecutive week and reached an average of $2.97 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, down from last week's price of $2.98 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The average fuel price in state has risen about 2 cents since last month. According to the EIA, gas prices across the state in the last year have been as low as $2.95 on Nov. 18, 2024, and as high as $3.76 on Aug. 7, 2023.

A year ago, the average gas price in Massachusetts was 7% higher at $3.19 per gallon.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, is one of three people on federal death row whose sentence is not being commuted by President Joe Biden.

In a move intended to keep his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, from going forward with executions he had previously halted, Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row prisoners, in keeping with a moratorium his administration imposed on executions.

The moratorium excludes individuals convicted of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.

The Boston Marathon bombing killed three people and injured more than 260 people.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

It was a weekend full of delayed and canceled flights for many travelers at Logan International Airport in Boston. 

The several inches of snow Friday caused some residual issues with airlines over the weekend. 

There were just under 100 canceled flights and over 500 were delayed on Saturday, with much smaller numbers reported yesterday. 

TSA was expecting to screen around 50 thousand passengers at Logan yesterday.

With 2025 around the corner, a new slate of laws is about to go into effect in Massachusetts.

The state Legislature, which is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives, proposes thousands of new bills each session. While they each move through the legislative process, only some reach the governor's desk and are signed into law.

Many laws go into effect Jan. 1 for a standardized start date each year, while others are implemented in waves.

In 2025, several major laws will go into effect in Massachusetts, both new and updated.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

 Maureen Byrne, the proud mother of a Marine, is intent on helping soldiers fly home for the holidays — or any special day, like weddings, birthdays, or anniversaries. 

She is the founder of Miles for Military, a Boston-based nonprofit that connects junior active-duty military personnel in ranks E-1 to E-4 with other nonprofits close to their bases. Once service members complete 25 hours of volunteer work during their downtime, using the Miles for Military system, they can then apply for transportation home.  

Earlier this month, Fall River native and Marine Private First Class Antonio Marcucci touched down in Boston’s Logan International Airport, where he was greeted by his mother, Jennifer Harris, who is a Marine Corps veteran, and her wife.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A jury found a former B.M.C. Durfee High School math teacher not guilty of aggravated rape of a child on Thursday just hours after closing statements.  

Tory Meneses had been accused of having a months-long sexual relationship with a female student, then 14, including having oral, digital and vaginal intercourse. According to testimony, the relationship lasted from May to October 2018 and came to light in 2020.  

During the six-day trial, jurors heard often lurid testimony from faculty and staff in the Fall River Public School system, the student, and Meneses himself, who took the stand in his defense.  

The jury came back after about four hours.

See more at heraldnews.com.

An arrest has been made in a nearly two-decade-old cold case in Westport, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

The DA’s office said 62-year-old Simao Farias of New Bedford was arrested for the murder of 42-year-old Suzanna Alvarado.

Back on Oct. 17, 2005, her body was found on the side of the road on Route 88. The DA’s office said she was beaten and strangled to death.

See more at wpri.com.

It’s been nearly a year since a wrong-way crash claimed the lives of an elderly couple and their grandson.

Donna, Floriano and Jacoby Arruda were on their way home Christmas night and were crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge when their car was hit head-on by an oncoming vehicle.

Floriano, 73, and Jacoby, 15, were pronounced dead within 24 hours of the crash, and Donna, 68, succumbed to her injuries a few days later.

Jason Hill’s home is less than a mile away from where the deadly crash happened. Each year, he decorates his front yard not only to spread holiday cheer, but also to collect donations for local charities.

But this year, Hill decided to dedicate his display to the Arruda family.

See more at wpri.com.

A 65-year-old shoplifting suspect faces multiple charges in Wareham. 

Officers responded to the Target store on Cranberry Highway Monday afternoon.  When an awaiting vehicle the suspect entered was stopped in the parking lot he tried to flee on foot. 

Police said John Vacchino of New Bedford was apprehended and found in possession of tools used to defeat security devices.

A 73-year-old Dartmouth woman is dead after being hit by a car Tuesday afternoon.  It happened around 3:45 p.m. as she crossed near the intersection of Bridge and Water streets. 

The initial investigation indicated solar glare may have been a cause, but that speed was not a factor.  The driver involved remained at the scene. 

It's been a record year for passenger numbers at Boston's Logan International Airport. 

Boston-dot-com reported it has served 43-million travelers so far in 2024, beating the previous record of 42-and-a-half-million set in 2019. 

Logan connects to over 30 countries with 59 international destinations as well 84 domestic destinations.

Is the New Bedford School Department paying health insurance for employees who died? That’s the attention-grabbing headline Monday from the New Bedford Light.

The local news outlet reported the concern came up at a meeting earlier this month. School Department records show the district spends about $2.5 million a month on health insurance.

Both the mayor and superintendent’s office are remaining tightlipped on the report. But they acknowledged they’re now taking a closer look at their insurance rolls.

See more at wpri.com.

Although Hasbro officials remain tight-lipped about their next steps regarding a potential new headquarters, Rhode Island leaders believe there is still a chance to keep the company local.

However, Gov. Dan McKee pushed back on this idea in a live interview with 12 News at 4, saying state officials have been told a decision hasn’t been made yet.

“We’re in discussions, as long as we’re doing that, we feel as though we have a good possibility of keeping Hasbro here and the jobs here,” McKee told 12 News. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that the leadership at Hasbro knows this is the place they should be.”

See more at wpri.com.

Bristol Community College’s Board of Trustees has picked the school’s next president. 

Sedgwick L. Harris, currently the vice president of Administrative Affairs at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was recommended to take over as the school’s top administrator. 

Harris’ nomination must first be approved by the state Board of Higher Education. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14. 

Harris would be the school’s fifth president since its founding in 1965; he would succeed Laura Douglas, who is retiring effective Jan. 14. She has been Bristol's president since 2017.

Read more at heraldnews,com.

Cities on the SouthCoast got more than a quarter-million dollars in state grants to help boost their recycling and solid waste programs, with the goal of reducing the amount of trash they're sending to landfills.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection made the announcement Tuesday, as part of its Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grants.

Fall River, Taunton and New Bedford all received funds from the Recycling Dividends program. That program recognizes cities that have programs in place to reuse and recycle materials — but the grants must be used to reinvest in and improve their recycling efforts.

New Bedford received a total of $166,130 in grant money. In recent years, the city has invested in efforts to extend the life of the Crapo Hill landfill, which has an estimated four years left before it’s at capacity and must close.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A 41-year-old New Bedford man who evaded arrest last month was taken in custody Saturday. Police announced yesterday that Jesse Soares was arrested at his home. 

There were seven active warrants for Soares who faces charges including cocaine and fentanyl trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a high-capacity firearm. 

According to police Soares has a criminal record dating back to 2003.

Five people were forced from their home late Monday night after a fire broke out in Fall River.

Crews responding to the scene on Montaup Street around 11 p.m. found flames shooting out of all six front windows and spreading to the roof.

Some people were treated at the scene but no one was taken to the hospital.

See more at wpri.com.

As temperatures continue to decline in line with colder, wetter weather, the city has yet to see snow — or at least, snow that “sticks.” But rest assured, the novel snowplow will soon be rumbling and slogging to keep city streets clear. 

Charlie Denmead, the director of Fall River’s Department of Community Maintenance, is expecting a “cold and snowy” start to winter, with the weather warming in February, according to early predictions.

“Here,” Denmead said, “we prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” 

And despite having over 50 pieces of snow removal equipment ready to dispatch during a storm, including salter combo trucks, plows, backhoes, and skid steers, Denmead cited that the “shortage of snow removal vendors has impacted state and municipal snow removal operations hard,” adding that a dwindling number of private vendors is an epidemic throughout the Northeast.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The mysterious unexplained aerial phenomena sightings reported across the East Coast for the last month — what may be drones flown at night — have begun cropping up on the SouthCoast in the last few days, from the Fall River and New Bedford areas to Cape Cod. 

“I just drove home from work and had 8 of them above me ... very large and quick,” wrote Beth Manton on a Facebook page dedicated to Swansea on Dec. 13.  

“Anyone else seeing these 4 drones hovering by galleria mall East Taunton /Berkley,” posted Tina Carter in a Taunton Facebook page on Dec. 14. 

“Both objects are stationary with green, red, two white lights that move vertically/horizontal," wrote Gina Farrell on Facebook on Dec. 13.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

If you thought the travel on Thanksgiving was tough, the same goes for travel between Christmas, and the new year.

"AAA projects 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the year-end holiday period from Saturday, Dec. 21, to Wednesday, Jan. 1," according to a release from AAA Northeast. "This year’s domestic travel projection is expected to set a new record with an additional 3 million travelers compared to last year."

With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, weekend on either side of the holiday could see challenging traffic.

“We continue to see demand for travel soar at this time of year as Americans visit family and friends and take in new destinations," AAA Northeast senior spokesperson Mark Schieldrop said in a written statement.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Concession workers at TD Garden in Boston have new contract. 

About 600 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union ratified the deal yesterday, just days after threatening to strike. 

The union said it had been seeking higher commission rates and job protection from Delaware North, the company that owns TD Garden.

Union members had been working without a contract since August.   

A new survey finds that New Jersey, the Garden State tops the list of the loudest states in the country. Massachusetts comes in a close second.

From heavy traffic to countless airplanes flying over crowded communities, Jersey far and away ranked as the noisiest state in the union — and that’s before the state was invaded by a wave of mysterious and noisy drones!

Researchers gave the state a noise score of 52.87. That was more than 10 points more than the next loudest state on the list, Massachusetts (41.31).

The research analyzed 11 key factors to map out the noisiest corners of the United States.  

The Loudest States in America
 

1 New Jersey 
2 Massachusetts  
3 Pennsylvania 
4 Florida  
5 Rhode Island  
 

“Quietest States”

46 Kansas  
47 North Dakota  
48 Montana 
49 Minnesota  
50 Alaska  
 

Rhode Island officials are urging residents to take immediate steps to protect themselves following a major cyberattack on the state government, warning that their personal data could soon be exposed.

At a hastily called news conference on Saturday evening — the second in as many days — Gov. Dan McKee and other officials shared practical tips about what people can do if they are among the hundreds of thousands of people at risk from the hack.

“We know this situation is alarming, and it’s stressful,” McKee said. He urged people to save the URL for the website where the state will be posting continued updates about the situation: cyberalert.ri.com.

See more at wpri.com.

Two women were rushed to the hospital Saturday afternoon after a crash in Taunton.

Police said the crash happened at 2 p.m. in the area of Whittenton Street and 4th Avenue. One of the women was a 46-year-old from Berkley, who was driving, and the passenger, a 40-year-old from Taunton.

According to police, the other vehicle involved, a black Kia Forte, took off before officers arrived.

Read more at wpri.com.

Managers at a cat cafe in Tiverton that was unexpectedly shut down Friday for operating without licenses have collected more than $10,000 in donations so far to “revive” the business. 

Bajah’s Cat Cafe, 137 Main Road, abruptly closed its doors after the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigated complaints that more than a dozen cats at the business were suffering from upper respiratory infections. Eighteen cats were removed from the premises. 

Upon investigation, it was determined that owner Amanda Souza had accepted cats for adoption beyond the limits of her license, which only allowed her to house cats from Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River. The incident is under investigation by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A traffic stop in Wareham led to a high-speed pursuit and the arrest of a suspect who was wanted on felony warrants.

Police say they spotted 29-year-old Lashii Ortiz of Plymouth driving a vehicle with out-of-state plates overnight Sunday and he took off when officers approached, nearly hitting a police cruiser. Ortiz had felony warrants out for his arrest on armed robbery, witness intimidation and drug possession with the intent to distribute charges.

Police deployed stop-sticks that deflated two of the suspect's tires, but he continues to flee at speeds of more than 100-miles-per-hour. State Police took over the pursuit and Ortiz was arrested in the City of Brockton. He was returned to Wareham where he faces additional charges. Ortiz is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said Friday he is being treated for cancer and is recovering from major surgery.

In an appearance on Instagram Live, Moss, aided by a cane, introduced himself as a cancer survivor and thanked his “prayer warriors” for their support.

Moss said a cancerous mass was found in his bile duct, between his pancreas and liver. He said he had surgery to put a stent in his liver on Thanksgiving and then underwent a 6-hour procedure about a week ago to remove the cancer. He said he was hospitalized for six days and released on Friday.

See more at wpri.com.

Rhode Island’s state government has suffered a major cyberattack involving the private data of hundreds of thousands of people who have used state programs over the last eight years, Target 12 has confirmed.

Gov. Dan McKee’s office said the hackers accessed RIBridges, the online portal for obtaining social services such as SNAP and Medicaid benefits, as well as health insurance through HealthSourceRI.

See more at wpri.com.

It is no secret that Massachusetts has some of the best colleges in the country, but according to one new study, the state itself is the best place for students to attend college.

Yesterday, the nonprofit tech company SmileHub released a ranking of the best states for college students, and Massachusetts topped the list.

SmileHub determined the rankings by comparing states across three key categories: education quality and support, social life and economic environment. Using public data from government agencies and other companies like WalletHub, SmileHub evaluated these dimensions by grading 28 different metrics on a weighted 100-point scale. The scores from each metric were then averaged to determine a numeric score for each state.

Ultimately, Massachusetts scored 61.83, beating New York for the top spot by just one hundredth of a point.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

For the second time this year, a Catholic priest in Fall River has been placed on administrative leave and temporarily removed from ministry due to allegations of misconduct, and is under investigation by the Diocese of Fall River. 

The diocese announced Friday that it received information concerning misconduct by the Rev. Thiago Menezes Santos, who served at churches in Fall River and Taunton. 

“After reviewing information gathered in the preliminary stages of an investigation, it has been determined that there is sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation into violations of the Code of Conduct for Priests,” the diocese said in a statement. 

“There are no allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors," the statement added. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A Massachusetts resident caught drones over Easthampton on video last night.  Channel 22 reported the person said the drones flew around for hours. 

Since earlier this month, drones have been spotted over sensitive areas like military bases and airports in New Jersey. 

The closest military installation to Easthampton is Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield. 

Other sightings of drones and mysterious lights have been reported in Connecticut, California and Oregon.

One of the most prominent Democrats in Massachusetts is moving to Bristol County, but her advisers insist she isn’t doing so with an eye on running for Congress.

In an email to supporters on Thursday, Attorney General Andrea Campbell revealed she and her family are moving to Dartmouth next year — far from her current home in Boston, where she previously served on the City Council and made an unsuccessful bid for mayor.

“As your attorney general, I have crisscrossed the Commonwealth getting to know our urban, suburban, rural, and Gateway communities,” she wrote. “I have fallen in love over and over again with the beauty of our Commonwealth and its people. While this is bittersweet, Matt and I, along with the boys, are excited to begin a new chapter in the South Coast.”

See more at wpri.com.

Police have released body-worn camera footage of the moment firefighters pulled a man from a chimney in Fall River earlier this week.

The man, identified by police as 33-year-old Robert Langlais, ran from officers who were executing a search warrant at a home on Canal Street. He made his way to the roof and tried to hide in the chimney, but became wedged halfway down.

“I was out walking my dog a little while ago and I heard some screaming,” the neighbor said. “I looked up and I saw a guy go down the chimney.”

The officer then ran toward the house with a flashlight and alerted everyone to what he just learned.

“Hey! He’s in the chimney,” he said.

See the video at wpri.com.

The domestic assault case involving Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell was resolved in court Thursday.

Instead of going to trial, the two sides reached what O’Connell’s defense attorney referred to as a “negotiated settlement.”

The mayor was arrested in July after her husband told police she physically assaulted him during an argument at their home.

See more at wpri.com.

Six hundred concession workers at TD Garden in Boston may go on strike. 

A union spokesperson said workers are concerned about more self-checkout kiosks which could lead to a workforce reduction. After months of negotiations, there are also other unresolved contract issues. 

A strike authorization vote is reportedly expected this weekend.  

The 2024-25 high school ice hockey season is set to begin for Fall River area teams.

Players from Somerset Berkley and Diman co-op teams are ready to lace up their skates this winter after a solid campaign last season.

See the 10 Herald News Players to Watch on the ice this year at heraldnews.com.

All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday for four prospects: catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery.

Chicago announced the trade. Crochet was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts for a White Sox team that went 41-121, the most losses for any club since 1900. The 25-year-old was picked for the AL All-Star team in his first season as a starter.

See more at wpri.com.

Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been hired as the head coach at the University of North Carolina. 

The rumors about Belichick going to the college game became official with the announcement last night. 

Belichick says he's excited about the opportunity, saying he grew up around college football with his father and treasured the experience. 

The 73-year-old says he looks forward to building the football program at Chapel Hill.

The newest set of emergency shelter regulations went into effect on Tuesday, setting up a two-track system to assist families based on their level of need.

These new regulations aim to make shelter stays “rare, brief, and non-recurring.” The overarching goal of the system is to get families into stable, permanent housing as quickly as possible.

In the new version of the shelter system, families who are determined to have lower support needs will go into the “Rapid Shelter Track” and will be permitted to stay in overflow shelters for up to 30 days. Higher-risk families, or those with more complex needs, will go into the “Bridge Shelter Track” and will be permitted to stay in traditional shelters for up to six months.

See more at wpri.com.

Officers arrested a man who became stuck in a chimney while trying to avoid being captured Tuesday, according to police.

Fall River Police Lt. Matthew Mendes told 12 News the Community Action Suppression Team was executing a search warrant at home on Canal Street at the time.

“In an attempt to evade investigators, the target of the search warrant jumped out of a window and tried to hide inside a chimney, but became stuck,” Mendes said.

See more at wpri.com.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, Gov. Dan McKee announced Tuesday that state officials have selected two finalists to compete for the contract to build a replacement bridge.

One finalist is a joint venture between American Bridge Co. of Pennsylvania and MLJ Contracting Corp. of New York. American Bridge is the fifth-largest bridge builder in the country and helped build the San Francisco-Oakland Bay suspension bridge, while MLJ has worked on both the Brooklyn Bridge restoration and the Port Authority command center, according to the governor’s office.

The other finalist is Walsh Construction of Chicago. Walsh is the largest bridge builder in the world, according to the governor’s office, and has worked on projects including the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge — also known as the “Q bridge” — on I-95 in New Haven.

See more at wpri.com.

The Dartmouth Select Board is interviewing finalists for Town Administrator Wednesday and Thursday.

A decision is tentatively scheduled for the board's regular meeting Monday, Dec. 16, according to a press release.

Town Administrator candidates are:

• Bridget Almon of Warwick, R.I., currently director of finance for Fall River;
• Shawn E. Cadime of Fall River, currently town administrator for Seekonk;
• Gary J. Carreiro of Westport, currently director of Budget and Finance/Treasurer and co-interim town administrator for Dartmouth;
• A. D. Christian Vitale of Barrington, R.I., currently assistant town administrator and co-interim town administrator for Dartmouth.

The interviews will start at 5 p.m., and each is expected to last 90 minutes.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Getting between Fall River and New Bedford is getting a lot easier and faster, with the return of express bus service. 

The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority announced Tuesday that, starting Dec. 15, it’s bringing back the Intercity Express route. It’ll take riders, for free, between Fall River and New Bedford with no stops. 

Learn more at heraldnews.com.

As cold fronts continue to sweep through the state, residents face a challenging heating season, with rising energy prices threatening household budgets.

Fall River residents already spend an average of $2,868 annually on electric bills, which is 3% higher than the national average of $2,796, according to recent data from EnergySage, a Boston-based solar energy company.

The burden is expected to grow as natural gas prices, which fuel nearly 80% of local households, are set to increase.

Households relying on natural gas could face heating bills 24% higher this winter compared to last year, according to a Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources report, a spike attributed to high retail prices and forecasted consumption.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

One year after Rhode Island officials abruptly closed the westbound Washington Bridge, data from a European satellite is offering new insight into what was happening to the bridge in the months before it shut down.

Target 12 asked Value.Space, a technology firm with offices in London and Estonia, to analyze data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite in search of clues about the bridge’s final months. Value.Space uses the satellite data to monitor dams, bridges and other infrastructure on behalf of governments, insurers and other organizations.

Sentinel-1, which was launched in 2014, sends a radar signal down to the earth’s surface that bounces back like an echo, with new readings gathered every 12 days. That allows engineers to evaluate whether there has been any movement of a piece of infrastructure or landscape — down to the millimeter.

See more at heraldnews.com.

The Somerset Berkley community mourns the passing of Joseph A. Ramos, a beloved high school teacher remembered fondly for his ability to foster “creativity and self-confidence in all his students.”

Ramos, a Tiverton resident, was an instructor at Somerset Berkley Regional High School for over two decades. He died suddenly on Thursday, Dec 5, at the age of 48. 

“Mr. Ramos has been a light at Somerset Berkley Regional High School since 2002. He cared wholeheartedly about every single member of the Raider family,” said SBRHS Principal Dr. Susan Brelsford via email Monday to The Herald News. “His legacy will live on in all of them and, especially in his two children, Jordan and Joseph, who were his true pride and joy. He has always been and will always be a Raider!”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A 57-year-old Attleboro teacher faces charges after she allegedly slapped two five-year-old students at the Thacker Elementary School on November 26th.  Both of the children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Susan Martin was arrested yesterday at her Kingston home following a trip to Florida. 

Superintendent David Sawyer said the incident is disheartening as the safety and well-being of students is the district's highest priority. 

The judge overseeing the Karen Reed criminal case has granted a motion to delay her retrial. 

She's accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe by hitting him with her vehicle and leaving him in a snowbank in January, 2022. 

Her first trial end in a mistrial. Both the prosecution and defense want the retrial pushed back from January to April. 

The Massachusetts State Police are investigating a two vehicle crash that happened late Saturday night in Somerset.

Investigators said around 11:30 p.m., troopers from the State Police Dartmouth barracks were called to a crash involving two cars on I-195 East near the Braga Bridge.

The drivers of both vehicles, who are not being identified, were taken to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries.

Read more at wpri.com.

The aid comes in the form of $1.2 million in grant funding allocated to the city. Eligible businesses that applied for help will be able to get up to $10,000 from each.

“We have 111 eligible and qualified businesses,” Mayor Bob DaSilva told 12 News on Saturday. “We sent out 92 letters just this week to let them know that they’re getting their money.”

DaSilva added that those businesses now just need to fill out some paperwork, including filling out a W-9. He said on Dec. 23, the businesses can then come and pick up the money.

The mayor said the city got a total of over 260 applications, but some of those were detected to be fraudulent.

See more at wpri.com.

Massachusetts state Rep. Patricia Haddad is pensive, and proud of her illustrious 24-year career.

A changemaker who lobbied divisive bills, a longtime champion of clean energy and offshore wind in the SouthCoast, and a symbol of fortitude, Haddad said Republican Justin Thurber’s election win was “disappointing,” she said, “but I look forward with anticipation.”

Haddad, a Democrat, has represented the 5th Bristol District, which includes Dighton, Somerset, Swansea and Taunton, since 2001. She was the first woman to be appointed as speaker pro tempore, “which was a huge honor,” she said.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Cannabis cafes will be coming to Massachusetts in the near future. 

The Cannabis Control Commission has announced three types of social consumption licenses that will become available in the next year. 

Regulations for the cafes are still being crafted and must be approved before licenses can be issued. 

The commission is expected to approve the regulations by the middle of next year.  

A 20-year-old Swansea woman was killed in a crash early Friday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Troopers responded to I-195 West in Somerset shortly after 2 a.m. and found the vehicle in the median.

The driver, identified by police as Rylee O’Connor, was pronounced dead at the scene.

See more at wpri.com.

Have an upaid parking ticket lying around?

You won't be penalized for forgetting or being behind on making that payment, according to a press release from Mayor Paul Coogan's office.

The mayor and City of Fall River Traffic Department announced this week that they would be offering late fee forgiveness.

Starting Dec. 5 through Dec. 30, 2024, city-imposed late fees on outstanding parking violations will be waived.

The original violation amount and registry fee will still apply on unpaid tickets that were issued more than 60 days ago and have been flagged at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the press release states.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Charlie Braga was up early on this Sunday. He’d been out the night before with a buddy, meeting some local girls at the American Legion, but had been back home before 10 p.m. curfew. Charlie wasn’t a rule-breaker — he was a thoughtful young man, curious, soulful, responsible and sober-minded.  

Charlie was a yeoman second class in the Navy, a 22-year-old Fall River man serving aboard the USS Pennsylvania — a battleship, and the flagship of the United States Pacific Fleet, a massive 600-foot vessel capable of carrying over 1,000 men. The ship was in drydock at the naval base in Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, undergoing a refit. 

The ship was Charlie’s home and had been for many months. He was a secretary in the ship’s executive office, and was spending the sunny morning of Dec. 7, 1941, delivering messages to the officers, walking along the Pennsylvania’s decks and through its narrow compartments. A Catholic, he often attended Mass on Sunday mornings but had a few errands to do first and planned to go later that day.

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

The town will be awarded a $200,000 grant to repair and maintain its water and sewage systems in a comprehensive push to maintain Somerset’s infrastructure.

“If you look at each of my towns, infrastructure is huge. Especially water and sewage,” said state Rep. Patricia Haddad, who represents Dighton, Somerset, Swansea, and Taunton in the 5th Bristol District.

She claimed that Somerset’s water and sewage treatment plants need upgrading and “constant maintenance.” The grant is a combination of monies from the state budget and federal money. Haddad said another grant comparable in value will also be dispersed to neighboring Swansea to address ailments of the town's sewage system.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

One of the largest public universities in Massachusetts will now offer free tuition for some lower income in-state students.

Bridgewater State University announced this week it will cover the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees for in-state students from families earning $125,000 or less.

It is the latest Massachusetts school to launch a free tuition program for students from families making less than a certain amount in income each year.

UMass Dartmouth and the College of the Holy Cross both announced free tuition programs in October, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University also launched programs last month.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is halting its decision to not cover anesthesia under certain conditions. 

The insurance company originally announced they wouldn't reimburse anesthesia costs if the surgery went on for what the insurer deemed too long.  The news sparked outrage across the internet, as well as with doctors and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield announced they'd be halting the policy one day after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

The 2024 Joseph Case softball team waited nearly six months for the prize they earned as a result of their hard work and dedication.

On Sunday, the Cardinals celebrated their second straight Division 4 state championship in front of family and friends during a banquet at the Fall River Country Club.

Most importantly, the team also received another shiny Christmas gift — rings.

"This morning’s celebration was the perfect ending to an amazing season," said Case head coach Shannon Silva, who also won back-to-back titles as a player in the 1990s. "State-championship runs are hard work. Winning back-to-back titles is even harder."

Read more from Steven Sanchez at heraldnews.com.

A New Bedford man charged in the wrong way crash that killed an Endicott College police officer has been arraigned. 

Keoma Duarte pleaded not guilty yesterday in Newburyport District Court to charges that include motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence. 

Duarte appeared remotely for his arraignment from a hospital bed, where he remains with injuries suffered during last week's crash. 

Police say Duarte was driving the wrong way on I-95 in Newbury and collided head on with an SUV driven by Sergeant Jeremy Cole, who died at the scene.

Prosecutors in the Karen Read case are asking a judge to exclude a defense dog bite expert from testifying at her upcoming retrial. 

Read is charged with second degree murder over the 2022 death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe in Canton. 

Her first trial ended in a mistrial in July, and the retrial remains scheduled for late January despite requests from both sides to delay it until April. 

Prosecutor Hank Brennan says the defense failed to prove that longtime emergency room doctor Marie Russell of California is a qualified expert, despite her testifying at the first trial.

Say goodbye to movies and hello to groceries.

The Showcase Cinemas off Route 6 in Seekonk is set to close and be replaced by a Market Basket, the town planner confirmed to 12 News.

Demoulas Super Markets Inc., which owns the grocery store chain, purchased the property earlier this year.

Showcase Cinemas said the Seekonk theater’s last day of operations will be Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.

“We encourage our cinema patrons and Starpass loyalty members to visit our other nearby locations at Showcase Cinema de Lux Providence Place and Showcase Cinema de Lux North Attleboro,” a statement from the company read.

See more at wpri.com.

A beloved holiday tradition is about to celebrate 40 years of spreading cheer in Fall River.

The 40th annual Children’s Holiday Parade will step off this Saturday, no doubt bringing smiles to the faces of kids of all ages, and those who remain kids at heart.

It’s one of the biggest holiday parades in New England, and this year promises to be another packed with floats, giant balloons, costumed characters, and so much more. 

Thousands are expected to turn out to enjoy the parade.

This year’s parade also has a special, memorial dedication.

The 40th annual Children’s Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, stepping off at 1 p.m.

It will begin at Fall River’s Kennedy Park, and travel down South Main Street.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

In the uppermost level of the Borden Flats Lighthouse, a third of a mile from land, with a breathtaking view on all sides of Mount Hope Bay, the Fall River cityscape and the Braga Bridge, Kevin Ferias is at peace and at home. 

“It’s zoned residential,” he said. “It’s my home — it’s my second home.”  

For the past seven years, Ferias has been the lighthouse-keeper at what he’s dubbed the Borden Flats Lighthome. He’s intimately familiar with how the lighthouse’s beacon works — once a lamp flame lit by whale oil in 1881, then kerosene, now a solar-powered electric light.  

Although that part of the gig is fully automated, another part isn't: hosting guests who stay there overnight from across the globe. He rents the lighthouse’s furnished interior as a one-bedroom romantic getaway, which has quietly been one of the SouthCoast’s most successful attractions for years, selling out almost every night of the year to guests from as close as Fall River, as far as Hong Kong, and everywhere in between.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The New England Aquarium is treating more than 200 cold-stunned sea turtles that have washed ashore in critical condition on Massachusetts beaches.

Staff and volunteers from Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary have been walking the beaches of Cape Cod Bay in search of cold-stunned turtles and transporting them to the Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy where they are treated for life-threatening medical conditions resulting from hypothermia and the inability to feed.

Today, the Aquarium is launching a Giving Tuesday campaign to support sea turtle rescue and rehab with donations matched up to 100-thousand-dollars.

State gas prices rose last week and reached an average of $2.96 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, up from last week's price of $2.95 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The average fuel price in state has fallen about 6 cents since last month. According to the EIA, gas prices across the state in the last year have been as low as $2.95 on Nov. 18, 2024, and as high as $3.76 on Aug. 7, 2023.

A year ago, the average gas price in Massachusetts was 12% higher at $3.35 per gallon.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

 “It's been a real pleasure to be here,” said Laura Douglas, president of Bristol Community College. After a dedicated seven and a half years of service, she’s retiring in January.  

Born in western Massachusetts, Douglas’ parents “were both at UMass Amherst, so that’s where I spent my early years,” she said. She attended the University of Southern Maine before returning to her home state, where she worked in Cambridge. Douglas obtained her master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Michigan. Now, she notes the novelty of her studies: community college leadership, coupled with a degree in social work, which has informed her work as the college's lead administrator. 

She started as a teacher — in Japan, she added, where she taught English as a second language and American culture.

A crash involving two vehicles in Fall River resulted in a home sustaining damage on Saturday morning, according to police.

Police said the crash happened at the intersection of Johnson and London Street around 10 a.m.

During the crash, one of the vehicles exited the roadway, according to police, and hit a nearby house, causing damage.

There were injuries, but everyone is currently in stable condition, police said.

See more at wpri.com.

Fifteen people were forced from their homes after a fire broke out in New Bedford early Sunday morning.

Crews responding to the triple-decker on Nelson Street around 6 a.m. found heavy fire coming from the first floor and extending to the roof.

No injuries were reported.

See more at wpri.com.