It’s election season in Somerset, and the 2025 annual election will be host to three major contested races whose outcomes will be decided at the polls on Monday, April 14.

This year’s election will seek to fill vacancies in the Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee, with two terms expiring in the K-8 School Committee. Two candidates are closing in on one seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Incumbents of municipal offices brace for a standoff as numerous challengers vie for seats in town government ahead of the Town Meeting in May. While elections are usually scheduled ahead of the May meeting, School Committeeman Victor Machado has shared news of his latest proposal to push next year’s election back a couple months, to a Monday in June. 

Machado’s petition will be decided at the May meeting, when new officials will officially take the stage.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Changes are coming to two longstanding attractions in Massachusetts.

12 News has confirmed that King Richard’s Faire will be moving down the street to the Edaville Family Theme Park.

New England’s largest and longest-running Renaissance fair used to lease its former location and will now own the property it is moving to within the amusement park.

King Richard’s Faire, which is celebrating its 44th anniversary this year, is scheduled to open at its new location on Aug. 30 and run for eight consecutive weekends through Oct. 19.

This comes after the Edaville Family Theme Park announced it would be auctioning off more than a dozen rides and attractions next month as it undergoes a redesign.

The attractions listed for sale include a dismantled Ferris wheel, a sky tower, a mini roller coaster and a carousel, as well as a shooting gallery and approximately 20 animatronic dinosaur figures.

See more at wpri.com.

Eighteen student rowers and one coach are safely back on land after high winds and rough water conditions put an abrupt stop to their practice session at South Watuppa Pond on Saturday.

Tabor Academy’s rowing coach tells 12 News his team decided to practice at the pond on Saturday after a previously scheduled scrimmage fell through.

During practice, windy conditions caused high waves, and several boats began taking on water, the school said in a statement, though it stressed that lifejackets were available for all students.

See more at wpri.com.

Dozens of people gathered at the Vietnam Memorial Fountain on Church Green in Taunton on Sunday afternoon for the 43rd POW/MIA Remembrance Day.

The names of soldiers who are missing in action were read one by one.

For over four decades the Taunton Area Vietnam Veterans Association has come together on the last Sunday of March and held this remembrance ceremony, honoring MIA soldiers, many of them were prisoners of war.

“We’re here no matter what. If it rains, snows, sleet. We’re here,” said Dennis Proulx, Vice President of the Vietnam Veterans Association

He is one of the organizers and says the goal is to bring every missing soldier home to Massachusetts.

“It’s the least we can do for all the suffering that the families are going through waiting all these years,” Proulx added.

See more at wpri.com.

Skaters take notice: the city, in coordination with the Community Development Agency and Grindline Skate Parks, has designed a new skate park within the 11-acre Lafayette Park on Eastern Avenue in the Flint, and feedback is welcome. 

According to its website, Seattle-based Grindline Skate Parks delivers cutting-edge service that “translates community needs” to “innovative terrain” where parks and grounds gain new commission-based concrete topography. Grindline follows the entire process from design and construction services “including site analysis, community outreach, conceptual design, cost estimation,” to execution of the final product.

To date, the company, founded in 2002, has completed over 350 projects globally. 

Drop by the atrium in the Government Center between now and Monday, March 31, to see renderings of the skate park that are displayed on easels to the left of the main doors. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the city moved one step closer to demolishing the old Bedford Street police station in a unanimous vote to receive the property deed from former owners Wethersfield LLC, in lieu of foreclosing on it. 

According to a copy of the deed, the Chelsea-based company granted the city the abandoned and contaminated property at 158 Bedford St. as of March 14. 

Fall River has owned the decrepit building since October 2024 after an unsuccessful attempt to collect taxes on the property. 

Special Counsel Matthew J. Thomas, attorney for the city’s Finance Department, stated during the March 25 City Council Committee on Real Estate meeting that the building is severely contaminated, based on preliminary environmental reports.

See more at heraldnews.com.

An investigation is underway after a man was stabbed in Newport Wednesday evening, according to police.

Officers were called to a home on Dudley Avenue for reports of a stabbing.

The victim, who has not been identified, was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

As heavy machinery dug into McCoy Stadium on Wednesday, onlookers stood by and watched.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Gerry DeGasparre said.

The lifelong Pawtucket resident remembers the first time he went to the stadium.

“My mother took me because she was on the fireworks committee,” DeGasparre recalled with a smile. “I’ll never forget it. I was just a little kid.”

McCoy’s construction was completed in 1942, and the stadium brought pride to Pawtucket for generations.

“I took my daughter there when she was younger because she’s a softball player,” DeGasparre said. “It’s memories I shared with my mom and my family. It’s just devastating.”

The stadium put Pawtucket on the map, as many notable Red Sox players got their start at McCoy or spent time rehabbing there.

“Everybody knows McCoy Stadium. Everybody knows the PawSox,” DeGasparre added. “It’s a sad moment for Pawtucket.”

See more at wpri.com.

Police are looking for an 83-year-old woman in Middleborough. 

Michelle Sperling was last seen around 1:30 this morning in the Oak Point neighborhood. 

Her photo is posted on the police department's Facebook page.  Residents in that area are asked to check home surveillance video. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Middleborough police.  

The 12th annual Herren Shootout is set to kickoff this coming weekend at Portsmouth High School in Rhode Island.

Games will take place on Saturday and Sunday (March 29-30).

"This year will be the most talented year by far with a potential of 50 players from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut who are or will be Division 1 recruits," Founder and tournament director Mike Herren said.

Some of Herren's top flight AAU teams include one of the countries best — BABC teams — coached by Leo Papile (addidas), Rhode Island Elite coach Nick Light (PUMA), The Group coached by Doug Alves (New Balance), the LIT coached by Brian Rudolph from Tabor and the "White Mamba" AAU team coached by former Celtics player Brian Scalabrine.

The event will also feature some of the area's best boys high school players. Durfee's Jah Stephenson, Division 2 state champions Somerset Berkley's Max Finlaw, Finn Bjork, Brendan McDonald, Silver Lake's Ollie Curley, Wareham's AJ Lopes, Tabor's Aiden Smith and Sage Baptiste were all invited to compete.

See more at heraldnews.com.

An investigation is underway after a car crashed into a tree early Wednesday morning in Newport.

Officers responding to the intersection of Ocean Drive and Hazard Road around 12:45 a.m. found a Toyota Corolla against a tree with heavy front-end damage.

The driver, a 29-year-old Fall River woman, was unconscious and trapped inside, police said.

She was removed from the vehicle by Newport and Middletown firefighters and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Her passenger, a 39-year-old Taunton man, was found outside the vehicle and taken to the hospital with upper body injuries.

See more at wpri.com.

Passenger rail service has been restored to Fall River and New Bedford for the first time in nearly 67 years — the South Coast Rail to Boston is now officially open for business. 

Multiple decades in the making, the MBTA’s Middleboro/Lakeville Line has now been renamed the Fall River/New Bedford Line. It extends from Boston south to Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford, connecting the SouthCoast’s three largest cities to the state capital by train for the first time since 1958. 

In New Bedford, well over 100 people waited at the station before dawn to witness the first train of the new Fall River/New Bedford Line leaving the station at 4:27 a.m. The new pedestrian bridge spanning Route 18 aglow behind them, people were buttoned up against the early morning's chill, but warm with excitement. Most were there to mark the occasion, including Ruhaan Sharma-Soneja, who said he had also seen the opening of the MBTA's Green Line extension in 2022.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts is mourning the death of a former first lady of the Commonwealth. 

Kitty Dukakis, the wife of former governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, died over the weekend at age 88. 

Governor Maura Healey posted on X that Kitty Dukakis was a "force for good in public life and behind the scenes."

Bristol Community College will host the Wolfson Speaker Series featuring well-known wildlife conservationist and environmental journalist Jeff Corwin on Thursday, May 1.

According to a community announcement, the event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Margaret L. Jackson Arts Center on Bristol CC's Fall River campus. The event is free and open to the public. Register at www.bristolcc.edu/wolfsonspeakerseries.

Corwin is famous for his work on various television networks, including as host of Disney Channel's "Going Wild with Jeff Corwin," "The Jeff Corwin Experience" on Animal Planet, and ABC's "Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin."

See more at heraldnews.com.

It's official: South Coast Rail is on track to begin service on Monday, March 24.

On Friday, the MBTA received final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, according to an email from Maya Bingaman, communications manager at the MBTA.

With the start of passenger rail service 100% on schedule for Monday, it will signal a new era in linking the South Coast to Boston.

The MBTA has recently been undergoing a process called “running the service,” where commuter trains went on simulated trips from the new Middleborough station to its ends in Fall River and New Bedford. The purpose of these trips was to make sure MBTA integrated all its systems properly — including staff — and can operate the line safely. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending safety evaluations for three bridges in Massachusetts.

The NTSB said the Tobin, Bourne and Sagamore bridges need vulnerability assessments.

The recommendation comes after an investigation into last year's collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a ship. 

The state Department of Transportation said it will act on any necessary safety measures.

Two New Bedford men are being held without bail after they were arrested outside a 7-Eleven store in Newport, Rhode Island, Thursday.  

They both entered not guilty pleas in court Friday morning.

Police said 25-year-old Kolby McCoy faces drug-related and other charges.  Twenty-one-year-old Jacques Jeanty faces drug possession charges. 

The president signed an executive order yesterday, citing low test scores and wasteful spending.  

The governor told Fox 25 the state needs federal funding.  She said the cuts will be "devastating."   

If you always wanted to be a professional baseball player when you were growing up, your dream might be about to come true.

The Brockton Rox are looking for new players to join their "Revival Season" — now that the team has new owners, including Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice, Team President Shawn Reilly and Bill and Rob Janetscheck.

The Rox are hosting open tryouts Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, at Campanelli Stadium. Potential players must attend both days.

The professional baseball team, which now plays in the Frontier League, is looking for talented members of the public as well as free agents, which means players cannot be under a current contract. The plan is to take new talent to spring training the following week after tryouts.

Brockton Rox Baseball Coach and General Manager Jerod Edmundson said, "New talent could be anything."

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Ashley Hurley said the past few days still don’t feel quite real. 

“I drove by the house a little while ago. I almost drove home there yesterday,” she said Thursday. 

Her home was an apartment in 386 Locust St., a historic house in the Highlands Historic District — its face featuring distinctive gabled dormers that caught the eye of anyone who ever walked or drove past.  

On Monday, the house caught fire, causing untold damage and displacing everyone from the three-family. No one was harmed, but her apartment, which spanned the second and third floors, is ruined. Almost all of Ashley’s possessions are now gone. Her beloved cat is dead.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A gas station in Taunton was blocked off with caution tape after a gas pump was knocked over.

According to crews on the scene, the pump at Quality Fuel and Mart was toppled when some backed into it.

While the store remained open, the pumps were still closed as of 6:30 Friday morning.

See more at wpri.com.

The Boston Celtics franchise is being sold for six-point-one-billion-dollars. 

If approved by the NBA Board of Governors, Massachusetts native William Chisholm, a co-founder of California-based Symphony Technology Group will be the new owner.  He describes himself as a "die-hard" Celtics fan. 

Team co-owner Steve Pagliuca said he is "saddened" that the fully guaranteed and financed offer he submitted with partners was not accepted. 

When it comes to the town’s elementary schools, redistricting has been a topic hotly contested in previous years.

Now, it seems to be resurfacing. 

“The Somerset School Committee briefly discussed the possibility of redistricting our elementary schools to utilize community resources more efficiently,” Jennifer Ashley, chairwoman on the committee said in an email to The Herald News.

As part of the school board’s budget deliberations for fiscal 2026, redistricting was suggested by School Committee member Victor Machado, who has assembled a redistricting committee to report back with potential educational benefits that could be in store if redistricting were to occur. 

After the committee’s research was inconclusive, Machado said Superintendent Jeffrey Schoonover will review the matter.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Christ the Rock Church on Rock Street still needs funding for costly repairs to its century-old building, but a mystery donor has offered to help for a limited time. 

His congregation uses the historic building at 414 Rock St., originally built in 1924 as United Presbyterian Church. But water damage to the stone tower rising above Walnut Street has already required tens of thousands of dollars to fix and will need a lot more over the next few years. 

Until the end of April, Canavan said, a donor has offered to match any donations they get up to $10,000.  

“Ultimately, it's probably close to $1 million that we’ll need total," said Rob Canavan, pastor of Christ the Rock Assembly of God, though he added they're working on repairs in phases.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A Fall River mother is crediting her 4-year-old son with saving their lives after their home caught fire Monday afternoon.

Melissa Langella told 12 News she was in the kitchen with her son Maverick when he expressed concern over smelling “something funny.”

Langella initially thought it was the toaster oven, so she unplugged it.

But Maverick wouldn’t let it go — and the smell got worse.

“He was persistent,” Langella recalled. “He was like ‘Mommy, it smells really bad.'”

“I started to see a haze in the kitchen and smoke coming up the walls — thick, black smoke,” she continued.

See more at wpri.com.

Three people are facing charges after Somerset police said they broke up a prostitution ring this week.  Authorities said two rooms at a motel were being used. 

On Monday, a detective made contact with a suspect who allegedly offered to perform a sex act for money.  As a result, three people will be summoned to Fall River District Court on prostitution-related charges. 

A woman is facing charges for allegedly throwing illegal drugs over the outer-perimeter wall at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford several times in recent weeks. 

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office said deputies found multiple strips of suboxone. 

Bridget Hanley was stopped yesterday when she was spotted circling the jail in a rented car. 

The sheriff's office said she admitted buying drugs to throw over the wall to her inmate boyfriend.  

State Police detective Michael Proctor has been terminated by the department. 

After a three day hearing before a State Police trial board, Proctor was found guilty of displaying bias in a homicide investigation in connection with his work on the Karen Read case.  He was also found guilty of sending derogatory and demeaning text messages about Read to his colleagues and friends. 

Proctor's firing comes less than two weeks before Read's retrial for the death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe in 2022.  

A rare set of prints of original Lizzie Borden “crime scene” photographs will be offered for sale at one of the world’s most prestigious rare book shows in New York City. 

The 65th annual New York International Antiquarian Book Fair is set for April 3 to 6, where DeWolfe & Wood Rare Books of Alfred, Maine, will show and offer a set of 12 prints of photos originally taken during the investigation of the gruesome, still-unsolved homicides of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River in 1892. 

Rare book dealer Scott DeWolfe said the prints have spent the last three decades in the possession of an elderly New Jersey collector he declined to name.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

With the start of MBTA commuter rail service to Boston less than a week away, tickets are expected to be on sale for South Coast Rail stations very soon. 

“We’re currently aiming to have SCR tickets available in the mTicket app on Thursday the 20th,” said Maya Bingaman, communications manager at the MBTA. “We're excited for riders to take a ride on the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line opening day March 24.” 

The Monday start date is pending approval from the Federal Railroad Administration — which as of Tuesday had apparently not yet fully signed off on the plans.

Read more from Dan Medeiros at heraldnews.com.

The latest legal hearing in the criminal lawsuit between the Somerset Board of Selectmen and St. Louis-based Brayton Point LLC, took place in the Fall River District Court on March 4 and ended with the filing of a fourth amended complaint.

In the amended complaint provided to The Herald News, Somerset submitted evidence in the form of a revised count of separate violations incurred when Brayton Point LLC “did operate its business in violation of a Cease and Desist & Order,” that is “subject to the penalty provisions of Town By-Law.” 

According to the town, a new total of 11,195 vehicular trips in and out of Brayton Point went on for 254 days between Nov. 20, 2020, and Dec. 15, 2021, in violation of a cease-and-desist order dated Nov. 24, 2020. There is one week notated as “missing” from the report, that counts no trips between Nov. 11 and Nov. 17, 2021.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

An investigation is underway into a serious crash in Taunton Tuesday evening.

The crash, which appeared to involve three vehicles, happened on Somerset Avenue around 6:30 p.m.

It’s unclear if anyone was injured or what caused the crash.

See more at wpri.com.

The stage is set for the city of Providence to host NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2016.

Tens of thousands of basketball fans will be heading into the capital city this week to watch the first two rounds of the men’s tournament.

“Providence is going to shine, Rhode Island’s going to shine, and all the networks and all the games that are going to be on national TV, they’re going to be focused on the AMP right here in Providence,” Gov. Dan McKee said Tuesday.

See more at wpri.com.

Some losses are incalculable, because of not only the depth of the tragedy, but the scope of it.

It can be difficult to conceptualize large numbers, especially when those numbers are tied to an atrocity.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, as many as 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.

How can a tragedy of that nature be represented, or honored?

A moving new art project, years in the making at Bristol Community College, aims to answer that question.

“Bearing Witness: A Sea of Buttons in Memory of the Holocaust’s Youngest Victims,” is a physical representation of that loss, and a personal testament to the young lives that never got to be lived out.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The chance purchase of a bright green lottery ticket proved to be fruitful for a Fall River woman.

The Massachusetts State Lottery announced that Maria Manchester won a $1 million prize in the “Emerald Mine 50X” instant ticket game. She chose to receive a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes.

Manchester explained that she bought the ticket, “because of its green color and it was a newer game.”

She purchased the $5 ticket at the AMS Food Mart on South Main Street in Fall River. The convenience store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The Emerald Mine 50X instant ticket game first went on sale Jan. 7. The overall odds of winning are one in 4.02 million, while the odds of winning the $1 million prize are one in $5.04 million.

See more at wpri.com.

Police arrested a New Bedford man after he was caught with a handgun near a Westport school Monday morning.

Officers were called to the Westport Middle-High School just after 4 a.m. to investigate an alarm activation.

Police said the officers spotted a man walking down Old County Road in the rain after leaving the school.

The man, later identified by police as Nathan Santana, told the officers he had been jogging with a friend but had taken a wrong turn and was lost.

Police said Santana then told the officers the friend had already gone home.

The officers noticed Santana was holding a small pink wristlet, which he claimed his girlfriend’s wallet, according to police. Santana told the officers that his girlfriend left the wallet in his car when he dropped her off, which is why he had it.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A 17-year-old was arraigned Monday, accused of shooting and killing his older brother during a fight in Fall River over the weekend.

Jaylen Lambert is charged with murdering his 20-year-old brother, Jaleale Simmons, marking the city’s first homicide of 2025.

Officers responded Saturday afternoon to a third-floor apartment on Rodman Street and found Simmons suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

Police said Lambert admitted to shooting his brother and told officers where to find the weapon.

Several family members were present and emotional for Lambert’s arraignment Monday morning. In court, prosecutors said Lambert’s mother, who also lived in the apartment, had tried to separate the two by pushing Simmons into his bedroom.

From wpri.com.

An investigation is underway into the cause of a fire that tore through a historic home in Fall River Monday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the corner of Locust and Rock streets just after 3 p.m. for reports of flames shooting from the back of the home.

The Fall River Historic Commission lists the house at 386-388 Locust Street as a Gothic Revival home built circa 1848, called the Albert S. Clark House. It’s included on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Fall River’s Highlands Historical District.

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the flames raced up the back of the house toward the roof and into the attic.

Bacon said the house’s age and its wood frame, as well as the style of the architecture, gave the fire ample time to intensify.

“That wood has been drying through hot summers for nearly 180 years,” Bacon explained. “Once the fire got into those void spaces, we couldn’t get to it without pulling walls and ceilings down.”

See more at wpri.com.

More than 1,350 people spent their Sunday afternoon pounding the pavement as part of the 2025 New Bedford Half Marathon.

They wore headphones and phone pouches to keep them occupied for the 13.1-mile loop through the city, from the North End to the ocean, and wore bags and pouches carrying mid-race nutrition and fluids. Some bore kinesiology tape crisscrossing their knees and joints.

Conditions were “almost perfect” for the race, said race official James Dandeneau — mid-50 temperatures with some cloud cover to keep runners from roasting, and only light winds downtown. It may have contributed to some of the several dozen same-day registrations.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Fall River Public Schools has prided itself for its “walkable” district in which most students in all grade levels benefit from living within walking distance to their school. But the latest transportation policy may be taking a sharp turn. 

At a March 10 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley revealed that the district has been notified by state officials that Fall River must adopt a state-mandated standard method — based on actual walking or driving distance — for calculating distance from a students’ home to to their school. 

Previously, the school system measured distance “as the crow flies,” Curley said.

Kindergarteners to fifth-graders qualified to take the school bus if they lived outside of a 1-mile radius from their neighborhood school, or the school they are assigned. Grades 6 to 8 were eligible to be bused if they lived outside a 1.5-mile radius.

See more at heraldnews.com.

This is just the beginning for Bishop Stang girls hockey.

“I told them that, ‘This isn’t over,’” said Bishop Stang head coach Bill Theodore of the talk he had with his players after the No. 15 Spartans saw their historic playoff run end against top-seeded Hingham 5-2 in the Div. 1 state final on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.

“We’re so young,” continued Theodore, noting that he graduates just four players. “This is all experience for our younger players.

“Once the tears dry up, they’re going to be hungry. And they’re going to impose that on the new kids and say, ‘This is where we’re going. This is how we do it here.’”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The No. 6 Somerset Berkley boys basketball team had not won a state championship in 71 years.

On Sunday, the Raiders were not going to denied against No. 1 Malden Catholic.

"It feels great right now," a jubliant SBR senior co-captain Alex Crook said after the Raiders knocked off three-time state champion No. 1 Lancers, 65-44. "That has been our goal all season. That's all we've been talking about all year. We got it."

It was the third state championship in school history for SBR and first true basketball state championship for the school on 625 County Street. The Raiders won two state title — 1948 and 1954 — in Tech tournaments at Boston Garden that was opened to Eastern Mass. teams. Somerset defeated Oliver Ames, 53-26 in 1948 and Weston 56-52 in 1954.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A 20-year-old man is dead following a shooting in Fall River. 

Officials say Jaleale Simmons was shot yesterday at a home on Rodman Street, and he died at the hospital a short time later. 

Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy who lived in the apartment with the victim in connection with the killing.  The teen is not being identified by law enforcement because he's currently being treated as a juvenile.

The abrupt resignation of former city administrator Seth Aitken came after officials raised concerns that Aitken helped file business incorporation papers for a city EMS official who had planned to start a business. 

Through a public records request, The Herald News obtained paperwork relative to an “internal, unofficial investigation” of Aitken that took place recently. 

Included in the records were two incorporation documents from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office, dated April 9, 2024.  

The businesses being incorporated were Curos Holdings LLC and Curos Billing and Compliance LLC, both managed by Nicholas Silva, an employee of the city's emergency medical services department. The latter business, according to the incorporation document, was created to “perform billing, collection, and consulting services for health care providers, including but not limited to emergency medical service (EMS) organizations.”

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Five men have been taken into custody, including two from Fall River, as part of an undercover operation targeting individuals seeking to exploit minors "through the demand for underage commercial sex," the Fall River Police Department announced on Thursday.

According to a press release from the Fall River Police Department, a joint undercover operation was conducted on March 12 by the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit, the Fall River Police Department Community Action and Suppression Team, and the Massachusetts State Police Troop D Community Action Team.

An undercover trooper "posted a fictitious online advertisement on a website known for facilitating commercialized sex, posing as a 15-year-old female," the press release said. "After establishing probable cause, the suspect was directed to a predetermined location, where they were apprehended and subsequently charged."

Learn more at heraldnews.com.

A Dartmouth woman was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from two different employers. 

Jasmyne Botelho, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 20 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Botelho was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture orders of $443,122.59.

In September 2024, Botelho pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, according to a press release. Botelho was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Fall River Public Schools will still implement the MCAS test this school year, even though a state ballot measure passed to eliminate MCAS as a graduation requirement.

Because MCAS test scores may have kept students from crossing the stage between 2003 and 2024, the school district will confer diplomas to any student who met all other graduation requirements after a full transcript review is conducted.

In a social media post shared by the Fall River Public Schools, students of B.M.C. Durfee High School, Robert L. Medeiros Resiliency Preparatory Academy, or Stone Day School who earned a certificate of completion rather than a diploma are encouraged to apply to have their transcript reviewed to see if there are eligible for a high school diploma.

See more at heraldnews,com.

Three Guatemalan workers at a New Bedford car wash were detained after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly showed up unannounced, 12 News has confirmed.

The employees at Minit Man Auto Wash on Purchase Street were detained Tuesday. The arrests were first reported by The New Bedford Light.

Randal Stykowski, LLC manager of the car wash, told 12 News he was notified around 10:30 a.m. that Homeland Security agents were at the business, detaining employees hired through a third-party agency.

See more at wpri.com.

Police have arrested a New Bedford woman accused of shooting a dog with a pellet gun earlier this month.

Officers were called to a Clifford Street home on March 1 after a woman reported her dog had been shot with what appeared to be a pellet gun.

Yolanda Todman told 12 News her 1-year-old dog named Zuri was outside in their back yard when she was shot.

Todman’s home security footage captured the moment Zuri was shot. Two loud bangs can be heard in the footage just seconds before Zuri yelps and starts limping in pain.

Detectives were able to identify 32-year-old Lynette Ayala as the person responsible for the dog’s injury. She has since been taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty.

The hearing of disgraced state trooper Michael Proctor before a State Police trial board continues today. 

Proctor has been on unpaid leave since last July over misconduct exposed during the trial of Karen Read.  Proctor admitted sending crude and disturbing text messages he sent about Read to friends and colleagues during her trial over the 2022 death of her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe. 

This is the third day of hearings for Proctor, who could be terminated by State Police over the matter.

Mayor Paul Coogan delivered his annual State of the City Address on Tuesday evening, describing a city that is focused on widespread revitalization and also, willing to recognize its shortcomings.

“I look at Fall River with hope and promise. I think of my time in the mayor’s office and focus on how, in the long run, [we made] lasting, positive changes to our community,” he told a joint meeting of the City Council and the Fall River School Committee, after being introduced by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.

The City Council Chambers were abuzz with members of his administration, department heads, and members of the public, filling seats and applauding several times during the speech.

See more at heraldnews.com.

It was there for the taking for No. 11 Westport boys basketball team.

Clingling to a one-point lead against No. 2 Hopedale with 10.8 seconds in Tuesday's Final Four game, the Wildcats needed just one last stop to secure their second trip to the state final game since 2005.

That's when Blue Raiders senior Patrick Madden came in and snatched away victory from Westport.

Madden's driving, acrobatic lay-in with 3.6 second remaining helped lift Hopedale to a thrilling 57-56 win over the Wildcats before a large gathering inside the Rabouin Field House on the campus of Taunton High School.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

An investigation is underway into the cause of a fire that tore through a home and barn in Middleboro Tuesday afternoon.

Middleboro Fire Chief Owen Thompson said firefighters were called to Vernon Street for reports of a barn fire.

The flames that were shooting through the roof of the barn quickly spread to the nearby home, according to Thompson.

The four residents who lived there managed to escape, though Thompson said one of them suffered second-degree burns in the process. The man was brought to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK.

Thompson said the flames also scorched the yard and some nearby brush before making its way over to a grassy patch across the street.

It appears that the fire started outside the barn and quickly spread from there, though the exact cause remains unknown at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

A truck ended up on its roof after a crash Tuesday evening in Seekonk.

The single-vehicle crash happened at the corner of Pine and Cross streets.

Seekonk police said it appeared the truck’s load of wood chips shifted as it took the corner, causing the vehicle to roll over.

There were no injuries, according to police. However, there was “major damage” to the utility poles and wires that were hit by the truck.

See more at wpri.com.

The Someret Berkley boys basketball team was determined not to endure the same fate as they did in last's season Final Four.

Trailing by 16 points at halftime against No. 7 Masconomet Regional in Monday's Division 2 state semifinal, the Raider starters sat on the bench after an ugly first half and tried to regain their composure.

What took place in the final 16 minutes as they took the floor for potentially the final time turned into a comeback for the ages.

"I knew we were a better team than the first half," said Raiders senior co-captain Max Finlaw after SBR advanced to its first title game time in 71 years by beating Masconomet Regional, 66-58, at UMass-Boston. "In the first half we came out flat. I kept telling the guys that this is not going to be our last game together. We couldn't end like that."x

The No. 6 Raiders (23-1) move on the championship game at Tsongas Center at a time and date to be determined. SBR, which won its 20th straight game, will play a rematch against top-seeded and three-time defending state-champion Malden Catholic. Last season, the Lancers held off the Raiders upset bid, 50-48.

See more at heraldnews.com.

An investigation is underway after a Fall River triple-decker was heavily damaged by fire Monday afternoon.

Fall River District Fire Chief Matt Johnson told 12 News firefighters rushed to the Danforth Street apartment building to find flames shooting from the second and third floors.

Johnson said firefighters had to evacuate the building temporarily and battle the flames from the outside due to the significant amount of fire. The firefighters eventually went back inside to finish the job once the bulk of the fire was knocked down, he added.

See more at wpri.com.

Police are investigating after a woman claimed she was attacked at a New Bedford cemetery while paying respects to a relative over the weekend.

Police confirmed that officers were called to Allen and Jacintho streets just after noon Sunday after the woman reported being assaulted by a man at St. John’s Cemetery.

No suspects have been identified or taken into custody at this time.

The woman, who identified herself to 12 News as Jessica Blanchard, explained in a statement that she was visiting her grandparent’s grave at the time.

Blanchard said she had just parked and was getting out of her car when the man “blindsided” her.

See more at wpri.com.

An arson investigation is underway after a fire broke out at the former Silvia School in Fall River earlier this month.

Fall River Fire Captain Eric Caffrey said the fire was intentionally set and four juveniles have been arrested.

They have all been charged with burning a public building, breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony, vandalizing property, and trespassing, according to Fall River Police Lt. Matthew Mendes.

Read more at wpri.com.

About 300 people from across southern Massachusetts turned out for a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss on Saturday afternoon, where the congressman promised to fight a potential closure of the Social Security Administration office. 

For a little over an hour, the third-term congressman responded to questions from the crowd on everything from President Donald Trump’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies, to the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, to high energy bills. 

Auchincloss’ district stretches as far north as Brookline and Newton, and south to much of Bristol County.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Prior to this postseason, the Bishop Stang girls hockey team had never won a playoff game in the program’s 12-year history.

Now the Spartans are headed to TD Garden to play in the MIAA Div. 1 state championship after reeling off their fourth straight tournament win on Saturday night.

“I’m speechless,” said Bishop Stang head coach Bill Theodore. “I don’t know what to say. It’s an amazing feeling.” 

It took overtime for No. 15 Bishop Stang to knock off sixth-seeded Methuen/Tewksbury, 3-2, in the Div. 1 state semifinals at Gallo Ice Arena.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Two Greater Fall River boys basketball teams are still alive in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.

No. 6 Somerset Berkley advanced to its second straight Division 2 Final Four with an impressive win on the road against No. 3 Pope Francis. No. 11 Westport punched its ticket to the Division 5 Final Four after beating Rockport at home.

It is the first time since 2012 the Wildcats advanced to the state semifinal game.

Read more at heraldnews.com.

Fall River police have arrested two men in connection with a stabbing near George H. Cottell Heights apartments on Friday night.

In a post on social media, police said officers responded to the Pleasant Street development around 8:45 p.m. for reports of a man who had been stabbed in the chest.

The victim was rushed to a local hospital where he is now stable but in critical condition.

Police said officers followed a trail of blood to 75 Raymond Street where they believe the incident happened.

Officers later arrested 48-year-old Barry Cabral and 31-year-old Erik Getchell.

See more at wpri.com.

Almost a season ago, the Somerset Berkley boys basketball team walked away from their Final Four game against No. 1 Malden Catholic with a bitter taste.

The Raiders nearly pulled off the biggest upset in the state last winter, falling to the powerhouse Lancers by two points. Throughout the summer months, most members of this year's team were seen practicing non-stop under the sultry sunlight.

At the start of the winter campaign, the veteran, confident SBR team vowed all season they were going to make another run for a state championship.

Now they're back once again in 2025 and ready to make noise.

The No. 6 Raiders take their game on the road Friday to play No. 3 Pope Francis Prep in the Division 2 Elite 8 contest in West Springfield.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A New Bedford man was arraigned Thursday in the deadly shooting of a 32-year-old woman, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.

Wilo Morales-Colon, 49, faces charges of murder and carrying a firearm without a license following the death of Karina Martinez-Ortiz.

Martinez-Ortiz was found with gunshot wounds in front of her first-floor apartment on Bolton Street Tuesday evening and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

See more at wpri.com.

Some Republicans in the U.S. House are warning that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu could be charged criminally over the city's sanctuary policies. 

House Republicans accused Wu and the mayors of other big cities with sanctuary policies of breaking the law. 

Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna says the Boston Trust Act restricting police from helping immigration authorities is a violation of federal law. 

The members indicate that they might seek to have criminal charges filed against the mayors, or refer the matter for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.  

The MBTA's South Coast Rail project hopes to attract riders looking to leave their cars at home — or don’t use cars to begin with. The regional bus system is working to connect people to the train stations with its existing routes and a new Uber-like service. 

Shayne Trimbell, director of transit planning for the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority, said SRTA has been preparing for commuter rail for the last few years. 

SRTA’s plans, initially developed in 2022 and 2023, have been a bit of a moving target because of the MBTA's evolving plans, Trimbell said. 

“This was all predicated on the idea that there would only be early-morning trips to Boston and then early and late evening returns from Boston," Trimbell said. “Since then, the MBTA has expanded the schedule for the South Coast Rail that will include trips throughout the day.” 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

A New Bedford police officer is on leave after he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor domestic assault and battery charges.

Nivaldo Mendes, 30, was charged with two counts of strangulation or suffocation and three counts of assault and battery on a family or household member back in December, according to court documents.

The charges stem from several incidents that happened in Taunton throughout 2024 that culminated in Mendes’ arrest late last year. The victim obtained an abuse prevention order against him shortly after his arrest.

See more at wpri.com.

Police responded to a residence on Bolton Street around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday night and found 32-year-old Karina Martinez-Ortiz who had been shot.  

She was pronounced dead at Saint Luke's Hospital.  No other information was available.

Fall River firefighters rescued a man who suffered an electrical shock while working Tuesday morning.

The fire department said crews responded to 198 Tecumseh St. just before 9:30 a.m. and found the man stranded up on scaffolding. He was shocked when the material he was working with came into contact with a power line.

After securing the man, crews lowered him to the ground where he received immediate medical care.

See more at wpri.com.

Two buildings owned by the federal government in the SouthCoast could be on the real estate market soon, including a historic property nearly 200 years old. 

The U.S. General Services Administration, an agency that handles procurement for the federal government including real estate, on Tuesday published a list of 440 “non-core assets” — buildings and office space that are “not core to government operations,” with the intent to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of them.  

The Social Security Administration building at 400 N. Main St. in Fall River made the list, along with New Bedford’s U.S. Custom House, the historic Greek Revival building at 37 N. Second St. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The federal investigation in the Karen Read case is closed, and no charges will be filed against police. 

Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV outside a house in Canton in January, 2022, and leaving him to die in snowstorm. 

Her defense has long maintained the 44-year-old Mansfield woman was framed and that other police officers were responsible for O'Keefe's death. 

Read's first trial ended with a mistrial last July, and her second trial is scheduled to start April first. 

Rhode Island State Police say 13 people are injured after a multi-vehicle wreck on Interstate 195 near the Rhode Island-Massachusetts line.

Investigators say a tractor trailer crashed into a dozen vehicles after failing to stop for traffic. 

Sixty-four-year-old truck driver Jon Main of Cranston is charged with driving to endanger, resulting in physical injury. He was injured and will be arraigned after he's released from the hospital.

New Bedford will have 14 outbound commuter rail departures to Boston every weekday, with 15 trains from Fall River, according to a South Coast Rail schedule posted on the MBTA’s website.  

East Taunton will have 16 departure times to Boston every weekday. 

The schedule is labeled “Upcoming Fall River/New Bedford Line Spring/Summer 2025,” and is noted to be effective starting March 24. 

What is currently known as the Middleboro/Lakeville Line will be renamed the Fall River/New Bedford Line once service begins. 

The MBTA has not yet issued a public press release for the information; the schedule was posted to its webpage for the Middleboro/Lakeville Line on Monday. 

Read more at heraldnews.com.

The demolition of the Washington Bridge has entered the next phase in the project.

Gov. Dan McKee announced that the superstructure demolition was completed last week. Demolition of the bridge’s substructure began on Monday.

Crews will be using hammers to break up parts of the old bridge. McKee said there is no planned overnight hammering.

See more at wpri.com.

Fall River officials have decided to proceed with plans to demolish several vacant buildings on Hartwell Street after a fire broke out at the old Frank M. Silvia School over the weekend.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Neil Furtado, the fire started in a classroom closet on the second floor and burned for “a considerable time” before crews arrived.

Fortunately, no one was inside the building at the time and no injuries were reported.

See more at wpri.com.

The Vineyard Wind turbine blade that failed last summer has apparently sustained a lightning strike. 

The U.S. Coast Guard reported the turbine was struck Thursday or Friday, but no debris has been spotted and there are no reported navigational hazards.

Vineyard Wind says a visual inspection and the preliminary evidence indicates a lightning strike.  The company is assessing the situation with blade manufacturer GE Vernova.

Freetown police are investigating after a large crowd created a public disturbance at an Innovation Way gas station on Saturday night.

According to a release from the Freetown Police Department, officers responded to the Neon Marketplace gas station just after 10 p.m. Callers had reported more than 300 vehicles were gathered on the property, driving recklessly and blocking access to the gas station.

Police said they learned that several physical altercations had already taken place before they arrived, and multiple witnesses reported seeing someone display a gun.

Read more at wpri.com.

A fire broke out at the former Silvia School on Hartwell Street in Fall River Saturday afternoon.

Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the fire happened just before 3 p.m. and crews were met with heavy flames and smoke.

Flames went up through the middle of the building, according to Bacon, causing the roof to collapse.

Deputy Fire Chief Neil Furtado said the fire was knocked down around 4 a.m. on Sunday.

Mayor Paul Coogan told 12 News on Saturday the building has “been defunct for a long time.”

See more at wpri.com.

See photos at heraldnews.com.