Swansea Public Schools will welcome two new School Resource Officers this school year as Patrolman Christopher Ball and Patrolman Kyle Gaspar take on roles supporting safety, student engagement and school-based programs across the district.

The appointments were announced by Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Swansea Public Schools Superintendent Scott C. Holcomb, according to a community announcement.

Ball will primarily serve Joseph Case Jr. High School and Joseph Case High School. Gaspar will be primarily assigned to the district's elementary schools, including Joseph G. Luther School, Elizabeth S. Brown School, Gardner Elementary School and Mark G. Hoyle School.

District officials said both officers will be cross-trained to work in all Swansea schools.

As School Resource Officers, Ball and Gaspar will work alongside administrators and staff to help maintain safe learning environments and support school events. Their responsibilities will also include providing safety presentations and programs while building relationships with students and staff throughout the district.

Patrolmen Ball and Gaspar were selected through an interview process that included representatives from both the Swansea Police Department and Swansea Public Schools.

See more at heraldnews.com.

For the second time this summer, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office is facing criticism from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a detainee’s release.

Agents with ICE Boston arrested Heriton Da Silva Aredes, of Brazil, during “targeted operations” in Taunton on Aug. 6, according to a press release Wednesday.

Aredes had previously posted bail and was released from the Bristol County House of Corrections on July 25, following his arraignment on a pending charge of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle.

But ICE claims this was the third time Aredes, whom the agency describes as a “criminal illegal alien,” was released without notifying federal officials or honoring an immigration detainer.

According to ICE, Aredes has prior convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, using a motor vehicle without authority, refusal to identify himself while operating a vehicle, furnishing a false name, operating recklessly and refusing identification.

The agency said he was first deported from the United States on Oct. 14, 2008, pursuant to a final removal order issued that June, but later illegally reentered the country “on an unknown date at an unknown location.”

 It was a lively night in the New Bedford City Council Chambers Thursday as dozens of residents expressed their frustrations with the police department’s use of automated license plate readers.

The New Bedford Police Department put a temporary pause on its Flock camera system after an audit resulted in “internal investigations” and an officer being placed on paid administrative leave.

The council planned to address the city’s use of the controversial cameras, but residents became so rowdy that the issue was tabled and the rest of the meeting was suspended.

The disruption that ended the meeting occurred when councilman Brian Gomes voiced his opinions on the cameras.

“I’m a proponent of the cameras, but what I’m not a proponent of is the use of the cameras in a way that is unconstitutional and against people’s rights,” Gomes said. “You give me a guarantee that these cameras will not be messed with in unjustified ways, and I’m OK with it.”

Gomes was unable to continue speaking as the residents began loudly booing him, prompting New Bedford City Council President Ryan Pereira for a brief recess.

Hundreds of Lindsay Clancy supporters, many wearing pink with the words “Believe,” “She Needed Help” and “Peace For Lindsay,” gathered Thursday outside the courthouse where she is on trial in the killings of her three children.

Several of the 300 women, and a few men, said Clancy’s story resonated with them and that they wanted to raise awareness about how the mental health system treats women. Clancy’s lawyer does not dispute that she killed the children, but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill.

The MIAA is adding a Super Eight football tournament in 2027. 

The board approved the new postseason format in a 12-to-two vote on Wednesday. 

The top eight Division One and Two teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament without opt-outs.  Only eight teams from each remaining division will qualify, reducing the overall playoff field from 128 to 72. 

The shorter postseason will allow a ninth regular-season game while preserving Thanksgiving rivalries.

Testimony resumes today in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial.  Jurors were dismissed early on Wednesday after the Massachusetts judge said there was an "unforseen circumstance" he had to deal with, and would not discuss. 

Before court was dismissed, Clancy's psychiatrist took the witness stand and said Clancy has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, misses her children everyday and remains a suicide risk. 

Clancy is pleading not guilty to strangling her three young children in 2023, claiming she had postpartum psychosis.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee called a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the Washington Bridge project.

McKee, along with interim RIDOT Director Robert Rocchio and representatives from contractor Walsh Construction, released a timeline of the milestones they expect to hit between now and November 2028, when the newly rebuilt bridge is scheduled to reopen.

Rocchio said the rebuild is well underway, even if you can’t quite see it just yet. Wednesday was the first day that work was being done outside the water, according to him, and other work is happening off-site, including the fabrication of the steel beams.

“The contractor is working aggressively to complete the bridge as quickly as possible,” Rocchio said.

“Residents and commuters will be pleased to know that most of the work will be done off-alignment. That means we’ll build it without impacting local roads,” he added.

“Later in the project, there will be some brief traffic impacts, mostly overnight lane closures on the local roads under the bridge in Providence and East Providence.”

See more at wpri.com.

A psychologist says Lindsay Clancy reported hearing a male voice ordering her to kill her children. 

Paul Zeizel testified on Tuesday about evaluating Clancy after the killings.  Zeizel says Clancy described the voice during a phone call with her then-husband. 

The defense argues Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible.  Prosecutors contend she planned the killings and intended to die by suicide.

Police arrested three suspects accused of breaking into and rummaging through two parked cars in New Bedford Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to Summer Street around 4:30 a.m. after receiving a report of three suspects breaking into cars that were parked in the neighborhood.

Police said the officers spotted three males sitting on the porch of a residence on Summer Street near where the car breaks were reported.

The three males were taken into custody after officers reviewed security footage that showed them breaking into a parked car and opening the trunk. Officers also noticed a second car parked nearby that appeared to have been rummaged through, with items scattered across the interior and the glove compartment left open, according to police.

The three males, identified by police as an 18-year-old Brockton man, a 26-year-old Brockton man and a 16-year-old New Bedford boy, were taken into custody and each charged with two counts of breaking and entering into a depository.

See more at wpri.com.

The 86-year-old woman who was attacked by a family dog over the weekend has died from her injuries, according to authorities.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the woman, identified as Margaret Pacheco, died Monday.

The DA’s office noted that Pacheco also suffered from “significant medical issues” prior to the attack. Her cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.

First responders rushed to the family’s Oak Street home Saturday afternoon after receiving a report about an elderly woman with severe facial injuries.

The DA’s office said the woman, later determined to be Pacheco, had been mauled by the dog and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The dog, described as an Australian Shephard mix, was taken into custody by Dighton Animal Control.

The DA’s office explained that Pacheco lived with the dog and another family member at the home.

It’s unclear what caused the dog to attack Pacheco at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

A 23-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash in Wareham Monday evening, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz.

Cruz said officers were called to Charge Pond Road just before 7 p.m. after receiving reports of a serious motorcycle crash.

The motorcyclist, identified by Cruz as Cristian Hagopian, was rushed to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Investigators believe Hagopian had been riding alongside several other motorcyclists when he crashed into the woods near his home. None of the other motorcyclists were near Hagopian at the time of the crash, Cruz added.

See more at wpri.com.

A man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder in a gory attack at a Somerset hotel where a woman’s throat was slit.

Kyle Barboza, 43, of Fall River, appeared in Fall River District Court on Thursday, Aug. 13, to answer for charges stemming from a double stabbing on Aug. 1 at the Riverview Inn and Suites on Wilbur Avenue.

Barboza’s arraignment had been postponed multiple times due to recovery from injuries he allegedly suffered in the incident. He appeared in the dock with obvious facial injuries.

At the time of the attack, Barboza had already been facing charges of assault and battery in an attack on family members in Fall River in early July.

Judge Kevin Finnerty ordered him held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

According to Somerset police reports and court records, Somerset police arrived at the hotel shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 after being called by a clerk, who said a woman with a cloth around her neck told him there’d been a stabbing. Officers logged bloodstains throughout the front entrance and hotel lobby, and found bloody bed linens discarded outside one of the rooms.

Inside the room, which was spattered with blood, officers found a woman bleeding from the neck and two men on the floor, one sitting on the other’s chest, police said. Multiple knives were found in the room, including one with a serrated blade, its handle wrapped in black tape, police said.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Senator Ed Markey is widening his lead over Representative Seth Moulton. 

A UMass Amherst/WCVB poll of 445 primary voters gives Markey 60-percent and Moulton 32-percent.  Markey led 51-percent to 28-percent in polling last October. 

Pollsters say Markey supporters favor his progressive record, while Moulton supporters cite his younger age. 

The candidates will debate from 8 to 9 p.m. on Thursday ahead of the September 1st primary.

The defense is back to calling witnesses in the trial of the mother accused of murdering her three children in Massachusetts. 

Lawyers for Lindsay Clancy started calling her family members to the stand after the prosecution rested its case on Monday. 

Clancy's mother and sister testified about what they called Lindsay's unsettling behavior before she killed her kids in 2023. 

Clancy has admitted to the killings and is pleading not guilty to first-degree murder on the grounds that postpartum psychosis made her not criminally responsible.

There is a slight drop in the price of a gallon of gas in Massachusetts. 

The current average for regular is four-dollars-one-cent, that's down three-cents from a week ago. 

Triple A reported the national average is four-dollars-six-cents per gallon.

The city of Fall River will begin tearing down the former central police station on Bedford Street this week.

The Fall River Police Department announced Monday in a social media post that, beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Bedford Street will entirely close at Seabury Street traveling west, and Troy Street heading north will close at Pleasant Street.

Bedford Street is already closed between High and Rock streets, which is right in front of the 111-year-old building. Drivers and pedestrians are urged to use caution and encouraged to seek alternate routes.

“This is going to be a long and tedious process,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said.

Coogan said the closures will allow workers to bring in the machinery necessary to demolish the building.

The historic but blighted building is being torn down after years of sitting vacant. The Preservation Society of Fall River initially hoped to save the building, but Coogan said it is full of asbestos.

A juvenile is facing charges after at least 20 cars were entered over the weekend in Somerset, according to police.

Officers responded to Thelma Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday after a resident reported someone went into their car and took various items.

During a search of the neighborhood, officers found multiple vehicles had been entered and said the suspect appeared to be checking for unlocked doors. Officers also located stolen property dropped along driveways and streets near other vehicles.

Investigators determined three male suspects had been in the area about an hour earlier after speaking with neighbors and reviewing surveillance footage.

As the search neared the town line, Swansea police were called for assistance.

Police said three males were seen running away as officers approached. A juvenile who was attempting to hide was later located and arrested once police obtained evidence linking him to the crimes.

Through the investigation, police discovered between 20 and 25 vehicles had been entered overnight. Police said additional reports were filed Monday morning as residents awoke to find their cars had been “ransacked.”

“In all instances, the vehicles were not broken into or damaged by the suspects as they chose to only enter cars which they found to be unlocked,” the police department wrote in a social media post. “In some cases, police found money and car keys which were not taken by the teenage suspects.”

See more at wpri.com.

The Narrows Center for the Arts’ Take Me to the River festival is returning to the Fall River waterfront for its third year.

The free festival on Saturday, Aug. 22 will bring three bands and nine food trucks to the Thomas Norton City Pier on reconstructed Davol Street.

This year’s lineup consists of the Neal McCarthy Electric Band from New Bedford, Fantastic Cat from New York City and the Anders Osborne Band from New Orleans.

A free trolley service will ferry visitors to the city pier from the Narrows Center’s main parking lot on Anawan Street and the MBTA station lot on Davol Street.

Food will be available from Blount Clam Shack, Duke’s Chicken & Waffles, Bem Bom, The Book n’ Brew, Friskie Fries, Pit Stop Street Food, What’s Up Cupcake, BBQ Y Mas and Green Jar Cocina. Canned Heat Craft Beer Company and Party With Primo catering will serve alcoholic drinks.

“As I look out on this Route 79 project, I remember when we started this thing two years ago, the road was an absolute disaster, you couldn’t get through, we had all kinds of problems,” said Narrows Center Executive Director Patrick Norton at an Aug. 13 press conference ahead of the festival.

Now, the road reconstruction element of the Route 79/Davol Street Corridor project is complete.

“It really makes this destination one of the premier places in Fall River to hang out and see a show,” Norton said.

He said free admission allows people of every socioeconomic status to attend the festival.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Catholic leaders across Massachusetts are criticizing Governor Maura Healey's recently signed abortion bill.  The measure allows physicians to perform abortions after 24 weeks based on their personal judgment. 

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning called the law a grave offense against the sanctity and dignity of every person, while Massachusetts Citizens for Life says Healey's signature was politically motivated and compared the bill to human rights violations in China and North Korea. 

However, major healthcare providers back the change, saying the previous framework around abortion access didn't adequately meet all patients' needs.

A State Police investigator is detailing Lindsay Clancy's Google searches before the killings of her three children. 

According to police, Clancy googled psychosis symptoms, hallucinations and postpartum depression in the days before she killed her three children.  Her phone also showed searches related to suicide, bipolar disorder and psychiatric medications. 

Her defense says she suffered postpartum psychosis and heard a voice ordering her to kill the children and herself. 

Prosecutors maintain Clancy acted intentionally and testimony resumes on Monday.

A New Bedford man is facing a list of charges after leading police on a chase through the city on Monday.

Cameron Leite, 24, is accused of dragging one detective with his car and kicking another in the face while resisting arrest, according to police.

It all started around 6 p.m. when detectives saw a vehicle speeding down Purchase Street. Police said the driver (Leite) stopped in front of the Salvation Army and appeared to be arguing with people outside as the detectives approached.

The vehicle didn’t have a front license plate, police noted, and the driver ignored their commands to identify himself and get out of the vehicle. A detective grabbed his arm and tried to remove him, which is when he allegedly accelerated and dragged the detective about 30 feet before he fell to the pavement, suffering minor injuries.

Police said Leite then drove onto the sidewalk, nearly hitting four people sitting outside a soup kitchen as the detectives got into their cruiser and gave pursuit. The suspect sped north onto Route 18 and continued onto Acushnet Avenue where he collided with a cruiser at the Bates Street intersection, according to police.

The cruiser sustained significant damage, but Leite kept driving and entered a bank parking lot, where police said he hit another cruiser. Once he was eventually boxed in by more cruisers in the area of Hadley Street, he resisted arrest and kicked a detective in the face, police added.

See more at wpri.com.

A Falmouth man is facing several charges after allegedly leading police on a chase and grabbing an officer’s gun in Seekonk Thursday afternoon.

Officers were called to Central Avenue around 12:30 p.m. for reports of a crash involving a motorcycle. Police said the officers determined a motorcycle had rear-ended a sedan that was stopped in the middle of the roadway.

The motorcyclist, later identified as 19-year-old Nathaniel Cronin, was being evaluated in an ambulance, but took off once investigators learned he provided false information.

Officers eventually located Cronin near the intersection of Edwards Street and Fotch Avenue. Police said an altercation broke out in the middle of the road as the officers were trying to take Cronin into custody.

Cronin allegedly grabbed an officer’s gun and partially removed it from the holster during that altercation. Police said one round was fired but nobody was injured.

See more at wpri.com.

Police have arrested a man wanted in connection with a shots fired incident that happened in Fall River last month.

Joniel Medina, 20, was taken into custody outside of a Downing Street home Wednesday night.

Medina is facing several charges, including carrying a loaded firearm without a license, discharging a firearm with 500 feet of a building, striking a building while discharging a firearm and vandalism.

Police said Medina was wanted for a shots fired incident that happened on July 31 at the Father Diaferio Village Housing Development, during which a single round was fired through a window.

Medina was arrested during “Operation Restore the Row,” which was carried out by the Fall River Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and FBI Boston.

The operation was initiated in response to an uptick in gun violence, as well as “ongoing neighborhood decay,” in the Corky Row section of the city.

Throughout the operation, officers executed four search warrants, seized a variety of narcotics, secured a number of recreational vehicles and arrested 40 suspects on outstanding warrants and other offenses.

Fall River Police Chief J.T. Hoar described the operation as being “a line in the sand.”

“We showed what can happen when our entire department works together with a common purpose,” Hoar said. “We will continue to be aggressive in addressing violence and disorder, stand with the residents who take pride in their neighborhoods, and make it clear that we are not going backwards.”

“This is the direction of our department, and we’re just getting started,” he added. “To the residents of Fall River who take pride in their neighborhoods, want safer streets, and believe in the future of our city: we stand with you.”

See more at wpri.com.

A New Bedford police officer was suspended for three days earlier this year after investigators determined she did not render medical aid to a woman who later died after being hit by a car.

Officer Jennifer Touchette was suspended without pay for not checking on the victims of the deadly crash, which happened on Route 18 back in January. Her suspension was first reported by the New Bedford Light.

“Body camera footage and the [internal affairs] investigation showed that for almost three full minutes, you walked around the injuries victims lying on the ground and failed to provide any type of medical aid to them,” Thody wrote in the letter, which is dated May 12. “One of those victims would succumb and die from her injuries the next day.”

That victim, identified as 23-year-old Ruby Quiro Santos, was driving down Route 18 North on Jan. 30 she spun out into a snowbank near the Hillman Street on-ramp. Four others were also injured but survived, according to authorities.

Two New Bedford police officers, including Touchette, positioned their cruisers in front of and behind Santos’ car to protect it from oncoming traffic, according to a complaint summary obtained by 12 News.

See more at wpri.com.

The annual 3-point Hot Shot Challenge promises to be bigger and better this summer.

The event, now in its fifth year under the leadership of retired, longtime Fall River police officer Mike Perreira, returns to Fall River on Friday, Aug, 21, at Britland Park behind the police station on 75 Wordell Street.

Kids and adults will have a minute to shoot 25 basketballs. There will be four balls at six stations in various court spots. Three orange balls are worth five points and the black ball is 10 points. There will be one gold ball worth 25 points. Each contestant starts at the halfcourt line. If one sinks the long ball, they will be entered into a free-throw competition at the end of event for a chance to win a pair of top of the line basketball sneakers.

"Obviously, I'm looking to grow it every year," Perreira said. "The best thing about this competition is that a boy or girl can score no baskets and go home with $150 Nike sneakers with the raffle. This is a good way to bring the community together with the police officers and forge a good relationship with city youths, adults and the police department."

Unlike any other year, there will be two basketball courts including a brand new court thanks to a $2,000 donation from state Rep. Carole Fiola. Basketball equipment — racks and balls — were also included.

Interim police chief J.T. Hoar has been supportive of the event by supplying free Dominos Pizza and encouraging police officers to work the event with Fall River Police Association Local 1854 members.

See more at heraldnews.com.

As the Massachusetts murder trial of Lindsay Clancy continues, medical examiners have been called on to detail the deaths of her three young children. 

The doctors with the state medical examiner's office delivered graphic testimony on Wednesday about the nature of the children's fatal injuries. 

Court proceedings had to be stopped multiple times as Clancy sobbed during testimony from Dr. Renee Stonebridge and Dr. Barbara Olson. 

Clancy has admitted to killing her children, but her attorney is arguing an insanity defense due to Clancy's claims of postpartum psychosis.  However, prosecutors contend that she acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible.

A New Bedford police officer is now on administrative leave after she allegedly accessed the department’s Flock Safety database to follow her ex-girlfriend, Target 12 has learned.

On Tuesday, the New Bedford Police Department announced the temporary suspension of its Flock camera technology following an audit that resulted in “internal investigations.”

According to The New Bedford Light, that announcement came one day after the news outlet inquired about “allegations that a patrol officer used the system to track her ex-girlfriend.”

Target 12 confirmed Officer Emily Pacheco was placed on paid leave Monday. Police said Pacheco was initially put on restrictive/desk duty Aug. 1, “at which time their access to department systems and databases was restricted.”

Court documents obtained by 12 News include a complaint filed Monday by a woman who said she and Pacheco were in a romantic relationship for more than two years and lived together for about 90% of that time. She alleged that between April and July of this year, Pacheco placed her in “fear of imminent serious physical harm.”

When the woman moved out last September, she claimed that Pacheco insisted on remaining in contact. The woman said she eventually agreed and they attempted to “make the relationship work once again” around the holidays after Pacheco’s “persistency.”

The affidavit states that the couple “went no contact” for a week or two after a falling out around New Year’s. They later decided to go on a previously planned vacation together in March, according to the woman. She said she officially ended the relationship after the trip on April 5.

“After the breakup, I received endless calls and text messages even after asking to be left alone,” the woman wrote, adding that she eventually blocked Pacheco on all social media platforms.

Pacheco allegedly created fake phone numbers to reach her, showed up at her home unannounced and refused to leave when asked. The woman also alleged that Pacheco visited the hospital where she worked while on duty to “speak to me when I did not want to.”

“On April 26, [Pacheco] saw me pull into my home while on

duty, got out of her cruiser and refused to let me leave,” the woman wrote. “My supervisor on duty was notified and came to deescalate the situation.”

Southcoast Hospitals Group has been named a Best Regional Hospital and ranked No. 12 in Massachusetts and No. 2 in the Providence metro area in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.

The recognition includes Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham, according to a community announcement. Southcoast Hospitals Group also earned High Performing ratings in eight procedures and conditions evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Only 505 hospitals nationwide earned a place in this year’s rankings.

Southcoast Hospitals Group received High Performing distinctions in:

• Colon cancer surgery
• Heart arrhythmia
• Heart failure
• Hip replacement
• Knee replacement
• Maternity care for uncomplicated pregnancies
• Pacemaker implantation
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR

See more at heraldnews.com.

Cannabis company Northeast Alternatives is suing the city of Fall River for $4.6 million, claiming it was unfairly charged “community impact fees” for more than three years.

The lawsuit, filed in Bristol County Superior Court in June, names the city and Mayor Paul Coogan, in his official capacity, as the defendants.

Community impact fees are intended to pay specific costs a city incurs when a cannabis company operates. Northeast Alternatives alleges the city broke the terms of its Host Community Agreement by charging the fees from April 2019 to September 2022, but not explaining what specifically it was charging those fees for.

Instead, the lawsuit asserts, the city’s host community agreement with NEA “mandated flat percentage-based fees calculated as a percentage of gross sales, with no tether to any documented or anticipated municipal expense.”

As of Aug. 11, the city has not filed any responses. A Superior Court judge on Aug. 10 allowed the appointment of a special process server to serve the city with documents related to the suit.

See more at heraldnews.com.

A man recovered from the water in New Bedford was pronounced dead at Saint Luke's Hospital. He had reportedly been working aboard a fishing boat off Fish Island. 

Police said he jumped into the water to cool off and never resurfaced. 

The victim's name was not released. 

There is a new law in Massachusetts that  protects librarians and teachers. 

Governor Maura Healey has signed the Freedom to Read Act.  Under the law, a book cannot be banned or removed from libraries and/or schools until a public notice has been posted and a review hearing held. 

It also protects school staff and librarians from professional, civil or criminal penalties for their choice of library materials. 

The trial of the Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her three children continues. 

Yesterday, psychiatric nurse Rebecca Jollotta testified that Clancy described worsening depression and intrusive thoughts one month prior to the killings. 

Jollotta said Clancy never expressed a plan to kill herself or harm her kids and showed no signs of psychosis. 

The defense questioned whether Clancy was overmedicated and whether her providers failed to coordinate her care. 

Clancy has admitted to killing her three kids but argues she's not criminally responsible due to her postpartum psychosis.

New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody said Tuesday the department is temporarily suspending its Flock camera system after an audit resulted in “internal investigations” and an officer being placed on paid administrative leave.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that any technology used by the department supports public safety while protecting the members of the community we serve,” Thody said in a statement.

New Bedford police spokesperson Holly Huntoon declined to name the officer on leave. But she said the officer was placed on restrictive desk duty on Aug. 1, “at which time their access to department systems and databases was restricted.” The officer was then put on paid leave Monday, she added.

According to The New Bedford Light, the announcement comes one day after the news outlet inquired about “allegations that a patrol officer used the system to track her ex-girlfriend.”

Thody said the department stated using the license plate reader technology in 2024, prior to his tenure. As part of the review, Thody said the department will look at how the cameras were used in past criminal investigations and if they supported public safety.

Huntoon added that “any anomalies are being investigated,” adding police would not publicly disclose any internal investigations that emerge while the process is ongoing.

See more at wpri.com.

The Great Feast of the Holy Ghost of New England will celebrate its 40th anniversary when it returns to Fall River’s Kennedy Park from Aug. 26-30, bringing together thousands of Portuguese-Americans and visitors for five days of religious devotion, cultural traditions and community fellowship.

For Ma?rcia Sousa Da Ponte, president of the committee that oversees the event, the milestone is both a celebration of the volunteers who built the feast over four decades and an opportunity to reflect on its future.

"The 40th anniversary is a way of honoring everyone who worked to keep this tradition alive," da Ponte said. "It's also a moment to think about what we want these festivities to be in the years ahead."

Founded in 1986 by the late Heitor de Sousa, the feast has become one of the largest Azorean religious celebrations outside Portugal, centered on devotion to the Divine Holy Spirit and the gathering of Holy Ghost brotherhoods from across the region and beyond.

Da Ponte said the feast’s anniversary comes as organizers face challenges familiar to many community organizations, including rising costs and changing participation patterns. The annual celebration now carries an operating budget of about $200,000.

Still, she sees encouraging signs for the future.

"We are seeing more young people and middle-aged adults getting involved and supporting the festivities," she said.

See more at heraldnews.com.

“This is like something you'd see in the future.”

Brian Bentley, superintendent-director of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, gave state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg a grand tour of the new building, mere days before staff will enter its pristine halls for its first year of service.

Just beyond the new building’s main doorways is a conference room — a “showpiece” of the building according to Bentley. It’s built along a balcony, with glass walls that overlook what Assistant Superintendent and Principal Linda Weckesser called a vast “collaborative space” below, where students from different shops will work together.

“One of our goals in all our schools now is to have collaborative workspaces, because that’s a skill that kids need today,” Goldberg said. “We don’t just put people in cubbies.”

Other areas at the new Diman are also designed to encourage working together — science labs with prep rooms between them to share resources, extra wide hallways outside the academic classrooms where cafe? tables are set up for classmates to talk, joint areas where students can connect across multiple departments. Even the bathrooms are unisex, with private stalls but common hand-washing sinks.

There is now a law in Massachusetts that eliminates barriers to late-term abortions. 

The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act was signed Monday by Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat. 

Supporters note that under the new law women will no longer have to go out-of-state to access the care they need.  The act ensures that women experiencing serious pregnancy complications can receive appropriate medical care from their own health care provider. 

Critics see it as setting a dangerous precedent, arguing the previous law banning almost all abortions after 24 weeks was already too progressive.

Lindsay Clancy's former psychiatrist is facing the defense today. Dr. Jennifer Tufts is expected to undergo cross-examination as Clancy's murder trial enters its third week.  In previous testimony,

Tufts said Clancy showed no signs of psychosis and denied suicidal or homicidal thoughts one day before she killed her children. 

Clancy has admitted to killing her three children, but is asserting an insanity defense, claiming she was suffering from postpartum psychosis during the killings. 

Prosecutors allege the killings were premeditated and say Clancy planned to die with her children.

Police in Fall River are investigating a hoax call that led to Stafford Rd to be shut down.

In a post to Facebook, Fall River police say they were investigating an active incident on the 300 block of Stafford Rd. The post continued to urge the public to stay away from the area as officials conduct their investigation.

According to Fall River Chief J.T. Hoar, the call came in around 6:30 Saturday night. He stressed that police are still investigating the scene are looking to do a sweep of the home where the call came from.

According to police the call included an individual claiming to have killed his parents and threatening harm to others.

When police arrived on scene they swatted the area.

Upon investigation, officials say they determined that no incident occurred and there was no threat to the public.

As a result of the severity of the call, officials called for the Emergency Services Unit.

The incident is still under investigation as police are looking for individual who made the startling call.

See more at wpri.com.

Police in Tiverton have located the boat responsible for hitting a child in the water Sunday afternoon.

In a statement to Facebook, police say the incident occurred just after 3pm in the Nannaquaket Pond.

Police issued a be on the lookout (BOLO) for the vessel.

The boat struck and injured an 11-year-old girl and then drove off. According to officials the girl is being treated at Hasbro Children’s Hospital for minor to moderate injuries.

According to police, the boat traveled north after hitting the child. Officials posted an image to their Facebook of the alleged vessel. They described it to be 20 feet in length with a burgundy hull.

Police say the boat was occupied by 5-6 male and female teenagers. Officials have not provided details of the occupants since they located the boat.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is investigating the incident. No arrests have been made at this time.

See more at wpri.com.

Former police chief Paul Gauvin will return to the Fall River Police Department as a captain after a state commission found the city went too far in firing him in April 2025.

In a decision dated Aug. 6, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission found that Gauvin “engaged in misconduct that warrants discipline.” But its findings “depart significantly” from those in the 2025 external report that led to Gauvin’s firing, commissioner Paul Stein wrote.

The commission, an appeals body for public employees, modified Gauvin’s firing to a 90-day suspension, allowing him to return to work.

Gauvin joined FRPD in 1997. He served as chief from May 2022 until October 2024, when he resigned after votes of no confidence from both of the department’s unions, the Fall River Police Superior Officers Association and the Fall River Police Patrolman’s Association.

Gauvin was supposed to return to his position before becoming chief, which was leading the major crimes division. But allegations by Gauvin’s successor, now ex-chief Kelly Furtado, prompted the city to instead hire an external investigator to write the report that led to Gauvin’s firing months later.

He appealed the decision to the civil service commission.

Fall River voters who requested absentee or vote-by-mail ballots for the Sept. 1 state primary should begin receiving ballot packages after the city started mailing them Aug. 4, according to a community announcement.

The City of Fall River said voters should review the instructions included with their ballot package before marking a ballot. State law also requires voters to sign the affidavit on the ballot envelope before returning it. Ballots returned without a signed affidavit will be rejected.

Mail ballots may be returned through the postage-paid envelope included with the ballot package, at the ballot drop box outside the Third Street entrance of One Government Center or in person at the Elections Department in Office #636.

Voters who choose to return a ballot by mail or drop box must ensure it reaches the Elections Department by 8 p.m. Sept. 1, which is Election Day for the state primary.

Residents who still need to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot have until 5 p.m. Aug. 25 to submit an application. Applications are available through the Elections Department at 508-324-2630 or through the Massachusetts secretary of state's website at sec.state.ma.us.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Rhode Island Blood Center will celebrate the grand opening of its first Massachusetts donor center at 10 a.m. on Aug. 11 at 573-4 G.A.R. Highway in Swansea, marking a major milestone for the organization and expanding blood donation access for local residents.

The opening in the RK Swansea Place plaza follows a 2024 change in Massachusetts law that allows FDA-registered blood establishments to collect blood in the state, according to a community announcement. While Rhode Island Blood Center has supplied nearly 20,000 blood products each year to more than 40 Massachusetts hospitals, it previously could not independently operate donor centers in Massachusetts.

The new Swansea Donor Center will give residents another convenient place to donate blood while helping strengthen the regional blood supply and support patients at hospitals throughout Massachusetts and New England.

The center opens as blood providers continue to face supply challenges nationwide. Rhode Island Blood Center declared a blood emergency last month after local inventory levels fell to their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials say the new facility will help attract more donors and build a more reliable blood supply for the region.

See more at heraldnews.com.

The annual “Sales Tax Holiday” will take place in Massachusetts this weekend.

Over those two days, stores will not charge its regular sales tax on most items up to $2,500.

Purchases in store and online qualify for the tax break too.

The following items are still taxable and do not qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption:

• Meals
• Motor vehicles
• Motorboats
• Telecommunications services
• Gas
• Electricity
• Tobacco products
• Marijuana or marijuana products
• Alcoholic beverages

See more at wpri.com.

Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan announced that Fall River is opening a cooling center. 

The cooling center will be open from 8:00AM to 4:00PM on Friday, August 7, 2026.

The release said, "Due to the high temperatures, we want to remind Fall River residents to check on family, friends, and neighbors. Drink plenty of water, stay indoors in a cool area, when possible, and avoid strenuous activity if you have health conditions that may be affected by the heat."

Thirty-nine people affected by the deadly, catastrophic Gabriel House fire have combined their efforts to get justice, in a massive civil lawsuit against the assisted living facility’s owners – and have expanded the scope of the charges to include accusations of abuse and neglect at the facility.

A series of separate lawsuits against Gabriel Care LLC, owner Dennis Etzkorn, fire systems inspection company Fire Systems Inc. and others, have been combined into one master complaint.

But it has been revised to name even more defendants and lodge 49 charges of negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, civil conspiracy and much more.

The civil suit, 130 pages long, also indicates further defendants may be added in the future when their identities are revealed during the discovery process.

The lawsuit alleges that even before the fire, Gabriel House was unsafe for residents, with operators knowingly letting people live in hazardous conditions. Poorly trained staff turned a blind eye to residents smoking near oxygen, the suit alleges, did not report safety violations as they should have, and were improperly trained for emergencies, showing a “reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of the property’s vulnerable residents.”

See more at heraldnews.com.

Lindsay Clancy sobbed into her hands Thursday as a Massachusetts medical examiner testified during her triple murder trial about performing an autopsy on her infant son.

The 35-year-old is accused of strangling her three children before trying to take her own life by jumping out of a second-story window back in January 2023.

Though Lindsay survived the fall, she suffered a severe spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from the waist down.

State medical examiner Dr. Kimberley Springer was the first to take the stand Thursday.

Springer explained that she performed an autopsy on Callan and determined his injuries were consistent with ligature strangulation.

Plymouth County Second Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague presented Callan’s autopsy photographs while Springer narrated her findings. Lindsay audibly cried throughout Springer’s testimony while burying her face into her hands.

Springer concluded the infant’s official cause of death was complications from mechanical asphyxia.

See more at wpri.com.

Two men are charged in connection with a shots fired incident late last night in Fall River. 

Police responded to the area of Scott and Slade streets around 11:30 p.m. 

The suspect, identified as 36-year-old James Hickey was found hiding in a nearby residence.  Police said he was in possession of a gun and ammunition.

Also arrested, 34-year-old Dominique Starks, for allegedly making misleading statements in an effort to help Hickey.  

Lindsay Clancy's former nanny is describing her as a loving mother. 

The Boston Globe reports Elaine Rossi testified on Wednesday that the children appeared happy and well cared for.  Rossi says Clancy disclosed that she was struggling with postpartum issues and trouble sleeping, but Rossi never worried about the children's safety. 

Clancy has admitted to killing her three children, but pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.  Her defense says postpartum psychosis made her not criminally responsible, while prosecutors allege the killings were premeditated.

A 56-year-old man died in an incident at a Wareham warehouse Wednesday morning, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz.

First responders were called to Chatham Village Foods after receiving reports of an injured worker at the facility.

Cruz said the worker was found behind a loading dock pinned by a tractor-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation at this time.

Read more at wpri.com.

An investigation is underway after a man was shot in Fall River Wednesday night.

Officers were called to Fourth Street around 9 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting.

Police said the officers found the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment.

The severity of the man’s injuries is unknown at this time and it’s unclear if anyone is in custody.

Check wpri.com for updates.

A Fall River Police Department K-9 officer who has been on leave since 2024 is set to avoid a verdict for weapons and domestic violence charges after reaching a plea deal.

In the agreement made on July 28, prosecutors recommended that 34-year-old Marc Correia remain on pretrial probation until Sept. 1.

Completing pretrial probation allows defendants to resolve criminal cases without having to plead guilty or not guilty.

Correia faced one charge of improperly storing a firearm and one charge of assault and battery on a household member. Both were misdemeanors after the weapons charge was amended from a felony. A third felony charge of witness intimidation had been dismissed in March 2026.

Correia remains on administrative leave from the Fall River Police Department, according to Deputy Chief of Police Barden Castro.

“Now that the criminal case has concluded, the Fall River Police Department's Office of Professional Standards will complete its internal administrative investigation to determine whether any departmental rules, regulations, policies, or procedures were violated. This administrative review is independent of, and separate from, the criminal proceedings,” Castro wrote in an email to The Herald News.

See more at heraldnews.com.

The cause of a fire that destroyed a house in Rehoboth this weekend is under investigation. 

Responding crews found the house on Fairview Avenue fully engulfed in flames around 7:15 a.m.  A man who was home at the time was reportedly treated for smoke inhalation. 

There were no other known injuries.  

Yesterday day six of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Plymouth Superior Court. 

Several witnesses testified about evidence recovered from the crime scene at the Duxbury house where she is accused of killing her three children. 

Also Tuesday, Clancy agreed to stipulate certain facts in the case.  Her defense lawyer said that eliminates the need for prosecutors to present witnesses about evidence and chain of custody.   

The City Council struck a deal with Mayor Paul Coogan and the city’s official attorney to permit it to keep $40,000 on hand if the council feels the need to hire its own attorney. 

On July 28, the City Council held a special meeting to hear the third proposal of the city’s $483.5 million annual operating budget, and in approving it, councilors disclosed that a “compromise” was agreed upon when it comes to the council's ability to retain legal counsel — but it comes with conditions.

A new policy framework has been drafted to identify the stipulations for how the City Council may call upon the $40,000 reserve allowance to hire legal counsel, and who that lawyer may be.

The council’s request was officially satisfied in a Memorandum of Agreement that stated the city would provide the $40,000.

Councilors and Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey have for months been at odds, with councilors requesting the power to hire an attorney and Rumsey insisting that his office already represents them.

City Councilor Shawn Cadime told councilors that he and Rumsey discussed the matter in a “long” yet “productive” meeting. They settled on a “compromise” that would reserve an appropriation for the council to retain its own legal counsel.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Back at Miss Lizzie’s Coffee previous location on Second Street, owner Joe Pereira recalled, he received an unexpected visitor: a costume designer for the Netflix true crime series "Monster."

The show’s next season, set for release this fall, will be about Fall River’s famous Lizzie Borden case. Pereira said the designer told him the show’s last season — the story of suspected serial killer Ed Gein, which racked up over 40 million views in three weeks — caused tourism to spike in its rural setting of Plainfield, Wisconsin.

“She anticipated the same thing happening for Fall River. And she actually told me, you know, you’ve got to be ready for this, because this is going to bring a lot of tourism to your area,” he said.

In what was likely Fall River’s most famous historical incident, 32-year-old Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted for the Aug. 4, 1892, murders of her father and stepmother with what is believed to be a hatchet. The trial was a 19th-century media sensation, and has spawned folk rhymes, books, movies, and countless theories about what really took place that day.

There's been a small drop in the price of gasoline in Massachusetts. 

The average for a gallon of regular is four-dollars-12-cents.  That's a penny lower than a week ago. 

Triple A reported the current average price nationally is four-dollars-nine-cents per gallon. 

A new report is giving Massachusetts infrastructure a near-failing D-plus grade. 

The Boston Society of Civil Engineers says aging systems and deferred maintenance are leaving the state vulnerable to extreme weather. 

The report examined seven categories, with transit receiving the highest grade of C and the others earning grades in the D range. 

Annual bridge repairs require about one-billion dollars, while the MBTA repair backlog totals over 24-billion dollars.  Engineers are calling for sustained investments to repair and modernize infrastructure for increasingly severe weather.

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

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

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

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

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

Some types of overtime pay are an inherent feature of police work, while others are a necessary response to staffing shortages, said interim Chief of Police J.T. Hoar.

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

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

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

See more at heraldnews.com.

The city is closer than it’s ever been to solving flooding issues in Stafford Square. But hopes hinge on a $20 million federal grant application and some help from the city budget or sewer ratepayers.

On July 30, Fall River’s water and sewer systems director, Paul Ferland, provided an update on the designing and funding of a drainage overhaul at the intersection of Pleasant, County and Quarry streets to the City Council’s public safety subcommittee.

The crossroads is the low point of a 373-acre, heavily paved watershed. The area contains few green spaces that would let rainwater soak into the ground. Instead, it collects in storm drains that were built over 100 years ago and are too narrow.

So, water backs up, flooding Stafford Square as stormwater makes its way into the Quequechan River. It’s been happening for decades, Ferland said.

“Does it occur more often, potentially, because of the intensity of the storms that we get nowadays?” Ferland continued. “That could be said”

Ferland said construction on the drainage overhaul would take about three years once all the pieces are in place.

The Flint Village business district is set to receive streetscape upgrades thanks to state and federal grants.

See more at heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts tribal representatives are urging Governor Healey to ban Native American school mascots. 

The Massachusetts Mascot Coalition requested executive action after legislation remained stalled for several years. 

The proposal would prohibit Native American mascots statewide, with an estimated 25 communities still using them. 

Eight Massachusetts tribes support the measure, and the coalition says the mascots harm Native students and increase bias among non-Native people. 

Healey's office has not responded publicly to the request.

Somerset police have arrested a suspect involved in a stabbing at a motel that seriously injured three people.

According to police they have arrested 42-year-old Kyle Barboza of Fall River for a double stabbing at the Riverview Inn & Suites late Saturday.

Police said at the time of the call a female guest of the inn was seen in the lobby with a neck wound.

When officers arrived on scene, the female guest had left the lobby. Officers then found the female and two other people severely injured from apparent stab wounds inside the guest’s room.

Both Somerset and Swansea rescues transported the victims to area trauma hospitals to be treated for their injuries.

During the investigation, officers determined one of the victims being Barboza and put him under arrest.