It’s been a common criticism: while Fall River deals with an array of social and economic problems, the state chose to spend $16.8 million on lighting up the Braga Bridge instead.
On July 7, the bridge’s new lights turned on, concluding a three-year process that overhauled its electrical system, replacing its aging wiring, road illumination and navigational lighting. The project’s total cost ballooned from an original estimate of $8 million.
To hear the state tell it at the time, adding color-changing ornamental lights was just a part of the overall repairs. But records obtained by The Herald News show that so-called "aesthetic lighting" was actually the costliest part of the project, by far.
MassDOT's July press release said ornamental lighting "was requested by the City and local government officials."
But how much of the project’s total price tag actually went to ornamental lights, as opposed to upgrades to aging electrical systems the state deemed "unsafe"? And what contributed to the cost overrun?
The Herald News requested contract documents and cost breakdowns from MassDOT in August. On Sept. 18, the agency fulfilled the request.
According to those records, the whole project ended up costing about $17,425,856.
The bridge’s new look accounted for most of the project’s cost: about $10.3 million, according to MassDOT spokesperson John Goggin.
In contract documents, not all line items are clearly sorted into ornamental and safety categories. Those clearly related to “aesthetic lighting” add up to $7,796,800.
That includes $1.63 million for the lights’ control system, $1.577 million for “upper aesthetic lighting supports,” $2,595,200 for lower supports and $1,994,600 for flood lights.
Several line items, such as those for removing old wiring, could be indirectly or partially related to the ornamental lights.
The state’s $10.3 million calculation includes “aesthetic light fixtures, the supports and structural bridge modifications, supporting electrical infrastructure and distribution, control infrastructure and distribution, bridge access and work,” Goggin wrote.
Police have arrested a man accused of robbing a Fall River convenience store while wearing a Halloween mask.
Tajuan Holloman, 55, has been charged with armed robbery while masked and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Officers rushed to the Discount Food Mark off Pleasant Street Sunday night after receiving reports of an armed robbery.
Police said the suspect, later identified as Holloman, walked into the store wearing a Ghostface mask from the movie “Scream” and threatened the clerk with what appeared to be a firearm.
Holloman took off with about $1,500, according to police.
Investigators reviewed the store’s surveillance footage and were able to figure out where Holloman dumped the mask, as well as what turned out to be a tire iron wrapped in a white sock.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Jeffrey Schoonover explained that a driver behind the school bus saw someone throwing several plastic bottles, commonly referred to as “nips,” out the window and called the Somerset Police Department.
Officers pulled the school bus over and questioned the driver, who acknowledged that it was her who threw the bottles out the window, according to Schoonover.
Somerset Police Chief William Tedford explained that the woman found the bottles in her purse and told the officers “she was concerned she would face scrutiny” if anyone discovered them.
“Perhaps not a great judgement call at the time,” Tedford said in a statement to 12 News.
Tedford said officers performed a breathalyzer test on the driver, which showed she had a BAC of 0.0000.
“There were absolutely no signs of drinking or impairment,” he said.
Schoonover said there were 14 high schoolers on the bus at the time. He added that Fisher Bus, which services the district, sent another driver to pick those students up and bring them to the high school.
“The presence of alcohol containers on a school bus, by anyone, is unacceptable,” Schoonover wrote. “Our students and families must have complete confidence in the people responsible for transporting them, and we take this matter very seriously.”
Schoonover said the district has requested Fischer Bus not assign the driver to any of its bus routes in the future. He also thanked the driver who was behind the bus at the time for reporting the incident.
Lindsay Clancy‘s lawyer argued Tuesday that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove she killed her three children, a striking turn after a lengthy trial that focused more on her mental state than on whether she took their lives.
“This entire case is based on speculation,” attorney Kevin Reddington said during the first hearing since Clancy’s initial trial ended Sept. 4 with a deadlocked jury.
During the trial, he didn’t dispute that Clancy killed the children at the family’s home in 2023, instead seeking to persuade a jury to find her not criminally responsible because of mental disease — a rare condition called postpartum psychosis, according to the defense.
But on Tuesday, in the wake of a mistrial with the jury split 11 to 1 in Clancy’s favor, Reddington sought to persuade Judge William Sullivan to acquit her.
“Where is the admission? Where does she say that she did this?” Reddington asked, going on to recap his arguments that she also was psychotic and delusional at the time of the children’s deaths.
Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham called his argument “laughable,” pointing to various evidence raised during the trial. In court papers filed Monday, prosecutors recapped their arguments that there was enough evidence to convict Clancy.
The prosecution maintains that Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, killed the children then used multiple methods to try to end her life, and that she knew what she was doing was wrong. She remains paralyzed from the waist down.
The judge didn’t immediately decide, and no trial date was set.
Fire Chief Jeff Bacon told The Herald News on Monday that neither building severely damaged in a devastating fire downtown last week had fire suppression sprinklers.
The Columbian Building at the corner of South Main and Rodman streets caught fire around 10 p.m. on the night of Wednesday, Sept. 23. The fire raged through the largely vacant property into early Thursday morning, with hotspots continuing to flare up into Friday.
The fire’s cause is under investigation. Fall River interim Police Chief J.T. Hoar told The Herald News the matter is considered suspicious and is being investigated as an arson.
The fire destroyed the Columbian Building, constructed in 1892. It was once home to event halls, a dancing school and a music store. More recently, the building had been largely unused, owned by River Town Realty LLC but recently taken by the city for non-payment of taxes.
The Rodman Street side of the building had been home to LevelUp, a barbershop. An apartment above the barbershop was reportedly occupied, according to a city official; it is unclear if this person was authorized to live there.
Next door at 298 S. Main was home to Pawtucket Pawn Brokers. In that same building was card and hobby shop Two Lucky Collectibles.
The building was partially demolished on Friday night, on a particularly fast timeline.
City Director of Inspectional Services Glenn Hathaway said that was partially done to reach parts of the building that continued to flare up and smolder even despite the Fire Department’s dumping of thousands of gallons of water on it.
Although nothing is guaranteed yet, if lawmakers approve a supplemental funding request, the New Bedford community could have some short-term relief about the future of Station 9.
For months, firefighters assigned to Station 9 have awaited answers on what’s in store for the firehouse and their jobs. Nearly 13,000 residents and several nearby schools who rely on those crews are also eager to know.
Earlier this year, Mayor Jon Mitchell outlined a proposed budget aiming to close a $32 million deficit, which included the closure of Station 9.
The Ashley Boulevard station is currently operating on $500,000 in state funding secured by state Sen. Mark Montigny. But that money is expected to last through October or November at the very latest.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey agreed to include a $1.3 million line item for the New Bedford Fire Department in a supplemental appropriations bill submitted to the legislature. This would carry Station 9 through the rest of the fiscal year.
During a press conference and visit to the station on Monday, Healey said it was important to find funds to keep it open. She also stressed a focus on finding long-term funding solutions for stations in similar situations.
“As we continue to see revenues come in, we’re going to continue to see them baked into the public safety grants that we give out,” Healey said. “So I will expect that this is going to be funded, for years going forward.”
If approved, it’s unclear when state leaders could take action or how soon the funds would reach the city.
Bill Sylvia, president of the New Bedford Firefighters Association Local 841, says he’s hopeful the funding will move forward.
“Public safety is something that should not be funded or looked at as just a line in a budget,” Sylvia said. “There are serious consequences.”
Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue says the proposal doesn’t address the bigger issue.
“Mayor Jon Mitchell has rightly pointed to rising healthcare and pension costs as serious pressures on New Bedford’s budget. But a one-time rescue for one fire station is a Band-Aid,” Minogue said in a statement. “Next fiscal year, Station 9 will be right back in the same spot, because the real problem is that Beacon Hill has steadily cut local aid and left cities and towns to choose between public safety and balanced budgets.”
While Mayor Jon Mitchell was not in attendance at Monday’s event, a city spokesperson told 12 News he “regrets his schedule did not allow him to join” and welcomes the direct state assistance.
“It provides our Administration, the City Council, and local public employee unions the opportunity to address the underlying challenges of unrestrained pension and health insurance spending, which together are putting tremendous pressure on the City budget,” the spokesperson said.
A UMass Dartmouth student accused in the deadly stabbing of a student-athlete outside a Providence club has been ordered held without bail.
Chukwunonso David Uzoma-Eze, 19, allegedly stabbed two players on the UMass Dartmouth football team outside Mezzo Lounge off Charles Street early on Sept. 19.
As a result, 18-year-old freshman Marvins Antoine, of Fall River, died at the hospital
The Providence Board of Licenses has ordered the nightclub to remain closed for a month.
Uzoma-Eze, who police said also attends UMass Dartmouth, was arraigned Monday on a murder charge in Providence District Court. His attorney, Noah Kilroy, told 12 News he will be claiming self-defense in the case.
“Other than that, I don’t want to comment out of respect for the family,” Kilroy said. “Give them some time to grieve.”
Uzoma-Eze was arraigned in New Bedford District Court Sept. 21, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer request against him on Sept. 22.
An ICE spokesperson told 12 News Uzoma-Eze initially entered the country legally in 2015, but is now considered a “criminal illegal alien from Nigeria” for violating the terms of lawful admission after his murder arrest.
Kilroy declined to comment on the immigration matter.
A push to rollback marijuana legalization in Massachusetts looks likely to fail, at least according to new poll numbers.
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll, released Sept. 24, found that 71% of likely Massachusetts voters say they would vote no on Question 8, which would repeal laws that permit the sale of recreational marijuana. Just 24% said they would vote yes, with 5% unsure.
The question is one of nine set to appear on Bay Staters’ ballots this November, an amount that’s tied for the record.
The poll surveyed 590 Massachusetts residents online between Sept. 17 – 21. It has a margin of error of +/- 4%.
The poll surveyed six of the Massachusetts ballot questions, including ones on election, gun and housing laws.
Massachusetts voters were split on Question 3, a proposal that would make Massachusetts’ state elections, starting in 2028, like Boston’s: Candidates of all parties would be on a single ballot in the primary, with the top-two finishers advancing to the general elections.
Lindsay Clancy is expected to be back in court this week.
The Massachusetts woman, who claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, admitted to strangling her three children before trying to kill herself in 2023.
Her recent murder trial ended in a mistrial after jurors remained deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Clancy's attorney is expected to push for the charges against her to be dropped. Prosecutors have not said yet whether they plan to retry Clancy.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.
A police-involved shooting in Lakeville left one man dead and sent four officers to the hospital on Saturday, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
Just before 2 p.m., a resident called police to their home on Heritage Hill Drive for a well-being check on a “disturbed” family member who had been armed and “acting erratically.”
Despite verbal commands for Buckley to drop the gun, he allegedly refused. Officers said gunfire was exchanged and Buckley sustained a gunshot wound.
After receiving medical aid from officers on scene, Buckley was taken to Morton Hospital where he later died. Four Lakeville officers were reportedly taken to the hospital for evaluation and later released.
The investigation remains ongoing by Massachusetts State Police and the Plymouth County DA’s office, with help from Lakeville police.
Matt Sherry and the Durfee High football team played with a heavy heart on Thursday, Sept. 24 against Somerset Berkley.
The Hilltoppers wore the emblem 'MA4' on their helmets in memory of former teammateMarvins Antoine, who was killed in a stabbing last weekend.
For 48 minutes, the Durfee team and Sherry played hard for Antoine.
"Mentally the whole team was in a rough place, especially coming after that news in the morning" Sherry said after the Hilltoppers defeated the Raiders 28-7. "I feel like it defintely brought us together this week. Everything we do moving forward is for Marvins."
Sherry threw two touchdowns and ran for another to account for most of the Hilltoppers offense. Sophomore running back Ahliy Cantave rushed for his third straight 100-yard game. He finished with a game-high 134 yards on 18 carries and scored a 47-yard touchdown.
"It has been a tough week for the program," Durfee head coach Taylor Brown said. "We went through real life situations this week. I'm happy for the kids with they way they responded all week. We were only able to practice two days this week. We knew it wasn't going to be easy because Somerset plays until the end. I told the kids to play for Marvins because he was always super competitive when he was out there."
The Raiders (0-3) responded after the Hilltoppers drove the field for a touchdown — a Sherry keeper from 2 yards out — on their first possession. Senior Gavin Gooch took it in from 16 yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with a 1:50 remaining in the first quarter.
The only problem, SBR went scoreless for the last three quarters.
A man who allegedly stabbed two people in a Somerset hotel room acted in self-defense, with drugs at the heart of the fight, his defense lawyer argued in Bristol County Superior Court on Sept. 25.
Kyle Barboza, 43, faces felony charges with sentences ranging up to 15 years in connection with that attack.
At his Sept. 25 arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to eight charges stemming from two separate incidents over the summer. Judge Thomas J. Perrino ordered him held without bail pending trial after a dangerousness hearing the same day.
“Before you is a 43-year-old man with a 19-page record. He has a history of violence,” said prosecutor Assistant District Attorney Nicole Cheney.
Barboza faces indictments on two counts of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and two counts of assault with intent to commit assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, all felonies stemming from the Aug. 1 Somerset stabbing.
He was also indicted on older charges from a July 5 incident: one misdemeanor assault and battery charge, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of intimidating a witness, juror, police officer or court official.
The approaching Nor'easter is already impacting travel with delays and cancellations.
At Logan International Airport over 60 flights were canceled and there were several delays by early this afternoon.
The MBTA warns that potential flooding from heavy rain as well as high winds could cause service delays and/or cancellations on subway and commuter rail lines.
Additionally, all MBTA ferry service is canceled for the entire weekend.
On Cape Cod, ferry passengers are advised to check the Steamship Authority website for updates as the storm is expected to have a significant effect on ferry service.
As local leaders continue pressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for transparency about arrests in Massachusetts, the agency maintains it is not required to provide a rationale.
During a press conference Thursday, Helena DaSilva Hughes, president of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center in New Bedford, described the events over the past few days as a “total nightmare.” As of Wednesday, about 30 people had reportedly been detained across Massachusetts’ South Coast, but she said those numbers might have increased since.
According to Hughes, most of those taken into ICE custody are not criminals. She stressed that not only are they legally residing in the country with pending asylum cases, but many have children who were born in the United States.
“If we talk about the immigrant communities that are getting picked up, let’s not forget that this is an American issue, and these are American-born children that are being impacted,” Hughes said. “The trauma we are seeing with these kids is tremendous.”
Just two weeks ago, one of Hughes’ clients was reportedly detained after dropping off his son at school. She said her primary concerns are the widespread impact the arrests have on the community and the mental health effects on children who see ICE has picked up their parent.
“What’s happening right now is they’re taking away heads of households,” Hughes added. “Now mothers and children are left behind with fear of becoming homeless. They don’t know how they’re going to meet their basic needs.”
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said ICE initially used to call in advance if federal immigration enforcement operations were to take place in the city, but the agency is no longer providing prior notification.
“I have no problem with dangerous cartel members, drug dealers, violent criminals being taken out of the city of Fall River by ICE — but that’s about where I’m going to draw the line,” Coogan said.
Coogan mentioned that he received reports Wednesday of a child waiting to be picked up at a bus stop who was left alone outside after their parent was detained. He also heard that two Fall River students may have been taken into ICE custody this week, though officials are still working to confirm their ages.
According to Coogan, targeting people heading into work, dropping children off at daycare or helping society is an overreach.
Acushnet police are investigating the cause of a crash that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital with serious injuries Thursday night.
Town officials said the motorcycle and a vehicle collided at the intersection of South Main and Jean streets.
Police were called to the scene around 9:15 p.m. and arrived to find the rider, a 21-year-old man, unresponsive on the ground.
First responders stabilized the man before taking him to the trauma center at St. Luke’s Hospital, after which he was transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, according to officials. The motorcyclist’s name was not released, and his current condition is unknown.
Officials said the driver of the vehicle remained on scene and was taken to St. Luke’s for evaluation.
South Main Street was closed for several hours as police conducted their investigation.
Agents evidently with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained a man around 11 a.m. at SouthCoast Marketplace on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The man’s name and the charges he is facing are not yet known; ICE has not yet responded to a request for information.
According to witnesses, the arrest occurred outside the Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop at SouthCoast Marketplace on William S. Canning Boulevard. Around 11:20 a.m., an SUV parked outside the shop was seen boxed in by unmarked vehicles outfitted with red and blue flashing lights.
Agents wearing hooded sweatshirts, face masks and tactical vests marked “POLICE” milled around the area.
Witnesses said the man arrested attempted to flee toward the Aldi grocery store across Canning Boulevard but was subdued with a Taser and taken into custody.
The arrest comes as ICE has stepped up federal detention operations on the SouthCoast in recent days.
This week alone, nearly two dozen people were detained in New Bedford, including Oscar Abel Gutierrez, 37, of Fall River. Any criminal charges filed against Gutierrez were not immediately available.
The city is borrowing money to boost its annual spending on road maintenance.
“The residents yell for more streets to be done, we’re trying to accomplish that goal,” said City Councilor Michelle Dionne at a Sept. 22 meeting.
Voting 8-1, councilors approved a measure allowing the mayor’s administration to take out the $10 million loan for the purpose.
The loan is part of $28,201,106 set aside for road repairs in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan for the 2027-2031 fiscal years. That total includes state funding Fall River expects to receive over those years.
Massachusetts uses a formula based mostly on total road mileage — as well as employment and population — to send cities road maintenance funds. Fall River received about $2,651,678 this fiscal year.
The Capital Improvement Plan, approved in March, said extra local funds were needed because state funding has remained level while “the cost of projects is ever increasing.”
Residents along the Northeast coast are preparing for an early-season nor'easter this weekend.
Forecasters say the storm that usually comes late in the fall is currently building up strength over the ocean near the Mid-Atlantic states, and is expected to head north toward New England.
States from Maine to North Carolina are preparing for coastal flooding, beach erosion and power outages caused by gusty winds. The worst effects are expected Friday night through Sunday, when storm surge could get above three feet and wind gusts could hit 60 miles an hour. The heaviest rain is expected in southern Massachusetts.
The UMass Dartmouth football team and other members of the campus community gathered Wednesday evening to remember a student-athlete who was killed in Providence last weekend.
Marvins Antoine, 18, died early Saturday morning after he and one of his teammates were stabbed outside a nightclub in Providence. Police said a fight between two groups broke out in a parking lot after Mezzo Lounge stopped admitting patrons due to overcrowding.
The second victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, according to police.
The university held a candlelight vigil in Antoine’s honor outside the library starting at 5:15 p.m.
Students wrote down memories of Antoine, which were presented to his family along with his football jersey. While only a freshman, it seemed the Fall River native had a profound impact on those around him.
“He lifted people up. He made everyone around him better,” team captain Conner Robidoux said.
“One of our teammates wrote that he’s thankful he got to build a bond with Marvins that will last a lifetime. Because in the short time he was here, it felt like forever,” Robidoux added. “He said that in everything he does from this point forward, he’ll carry Marv with him.”
The suspect, Chukuwnonso Uzoma-eze, was arrested on campus later on Saturday. He’s also a UMass Dartmouth student, however, police said there’s no indication the victims knew him.
Uzoma-eze, 19, is currently being held in New Bedford as he awaits extradition to Rhode Island to face a murder charge.
Crews are still on scene battling a 3-alarm fire that broke out late Wednesday night in Fall River.
Firefighters responding to a building in the area of Rodman and South Main Streets around 10 p.m. found flames and smoke pouring out of it.
Fall River District Fire Chief Sean Flannery said the flames broke through the windows of a storefront and they immediately set up a defensive attack.
“There were three buildings involved here,” Flannery explained. “The main fire building had a building to the north that sustained heavy fire damage and there was another building on Rodman Street that had an apartment in it where one tenant was displaced.”
That tenant was in their apartment at the time of the fire but was able to get out uninjured.
Two businesses are also in the building on the north side of the main fire building. Those two buildings are “structurally unsound,” according to Flannery, and the building department will be making an assessment later in the day.
One firefighter was hurt by some falling glass, but was treated on scene and continued battling the fire.
“It’s been challenging. There’s been some hot spots that we’re having difficulty getting to,” Flannery said. “Right now we have two ladder trucks deployed trying to get to that hot spot, so we are going to be here for a while.”
Drivers are urged to avoid the area since it is expected to be shut down for a majority of the morning.
The lawyer for the holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy's mistrial is blasting a defense request to investigate his client.
Clancy is the Massachusetts woman who admitted killing her three young children in 2023 but claimed she shouldn't be held criminally responsible due to suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Attorney Edward Paltzik says questioning his client would undermine protections for jury deliberations.
Clancy attorney Kevin Reddington is asking the judge to review the juror's questionnaire, cellphone activity and court history.
The jury deadlocked 11-to-1 before a mistrial was declared earlier this month. A hearing on the defense request is scheduled for September 29th.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey held a press conference Tuesday morning to announce a plan to help people “pay less at the pump.”
Healey announced she’s proposing a two-month suspension of the state’s gas tax.
“Look, I don’t control the price of gas, but as governor, here’s what I can do: I’m filing legislation to suspend the Massachusetts gas tax for two months,” she said. “That means we’re going to cut gas prices by 24 cents a gallon statewide just one week after the legislature signs my proposal.”
Healey blamed rising costs on President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war in Iran, saying it has not only affected gas prices, but also the price of everyday goods like groceries.
The average price of gas in Massachusetts is currently $4.40 per gallon, according to AAA, while the national average is slightly higher at $4.48.
Citing past skepticism about suspending the gas tax, Healey said she sought to make sure that people who live and work in Massachusetts actually reap the benefit.
“Our team worked hard to craft legislation that tackles that concern head on,” Healey added. “It guarantees, it makes sure that those savings will get passed on to actual drivers, to customers.”
Healey also assured the proposal will not cause the state fiscal harm, nor will it jeopardize funding for transportation and unfractured projects. She said the state has surplus Fair Share revenue that has come in and is expected to continue to come in over the next several months.
Healey is up for reelection this fall. Her opponent, Republican Mike Minogue, recently started airing an ad proposing a gas tax holiday “until prices stabilize.”
Minogue said he wants to suspend the gas tax whenever prices climb above $4 a gallon and work toward eliminating the levy altogether.
He also questioned Healey’s timing, suggesting the two-month time frame is to get her through Election Day and noting how she didn’t enact a similar plan when gas prices surged under the Biden administration.
“Maura Healey could have acted weeks ago. She didn’t. That’s why I stepped up and demanded a gas tax holiday,” Minogue said in a statement Tuesday. “I hope they table everything else and get this done immediately. We should see this gas tax suspension go into effect today. If not, then we have to ask why the politicians are slow-walking it.”
Sadness, fear and frustration fueled a rally outside New Bedford City Hall Tuesday night as residents and advocates spoke out against recent ICE operations in the area.
After a wave of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents over the past two days, community members called on city leaders to take a more aggressive stance in protecting immigrant families.
“We call on elected leaders to be bold,” activist and resident Ricardo Rosa, who immigrated to New Bedford when he was six, said. “Protect due process keep families together and ensure that every person regardless of immigration status is treated with humanity and respect.”
Alicia Lopez Gonzalez is the Director of Mujeres Victoriosas, a New Bedford-based organization committed to supporting women and combatting issues of racism, discrimination, trauma and violence.
“ICE has been terrorizing — kidnapping — our community members from their streets from our streets,” Alicia Lopez Gonzalez said. “We want to be able to go to sleep knowing that we’ll be able to hug our family tomorrow.”
For Lopez Gonzalez, this fight is personal. She first arrived in the United States from Guatemala at just eight years old. At the time she was undocumented, but even now she said she still lives in fear.
“One of my brothers decided to self deport himself when this administration came in because he didn’t want to deal with this,” Lopez Gonzalez said. “I’ve been losing family members that are afraid. I came here having everyone and now I’m left alone.”
Juana Tiniguar told 12 News her husband was detained by ICE in a parking lot, leaving his truck behind.
“I want to know where they took him,” Tiniguar said. “What are they going to do with him? That’s what I want to know now.”
In a statement to 12 News regarding the federal immigration activity in New Bedford, a spokesperson said their agents “routinely conduct operations across New England, which includes the state of Massachusetts” but wouldn’t elaborate further.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jon Mitchell is calling for the country’s immigration law to be overhauled. He said there was no indication that anyone detained had criminal records beyond minor motor vehicle violations.
New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody said the department is aware of ICE conducting operations in the city but were not briefed on specifics.
New Bedford wasn’t the only South Coast community to experience federal immigration enforcement activity this week.
Dartmouth Police Lt. Keith DaCosta confirmed to 12 News that they received a call around 8:30 a.m. regarding masked men, later identified as ICE agents, exiting a vehicle with blue lights flashing on Faunce Corner Road near the I-195 overpass.
According to DaCosta, the police department was unaware of ICE activity and town and were not involved in the operations.
12 News also reached out to ICE for comment regarding the operations in Dartmouth.
However, a spokesperson responded saying the agency “routinely conducts operations across New England, which includes the state of Rhode Island.”
A UMass Dartmouth student accused of killing another student in Providence over the weekend appeared in court Monday.
Chukuwnonso Uzoma-eze, 19, was arrested on campus Saturday in connection with a double stabbing on Charles Street.
Providence police said a fight broke out earlier that morning outside Mezzo Lounge.
“It looks like shortly after midnight, the club seemed to be overcrowded, so they shut the doors not to let any more people in,” Major David Lapatin said. “The people who were in line, some of them walked to the parking lot, a fight ensued between between two different factions in the lot and we had two people stabbed.”
The two victims were members of the UMass Dartmouth football team.
Marvins Antoine, 18, of Fall River, died at the hospital from a stab wound to the chest.
The second player was taken to the hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, according to police.
UMass Dartmouth announced that a candlelight vigil to honor Antoine will be held on the quad this Wednesday, Sept. 23, starting at 5:15 p.m.
Police said there was no indication the suspect and victims knew each other prior to the incident.
During his court appearance on Monday, Uzoma-eze waived extradition to Rhode Island. He was ordered held until authorities pick him up to return him to Providence so he can face a murder charge, which is expected to happen by next Monday.
The clock is ticking for New Bedford city officials to determine the future of Fire Station No. 9.
The station on Ashley Boulevard covers six schools, an airport and thousands of homes. But as the city faces a $32 million budget deficit, its future remains unclear.
Mayor Jon Mitchell proposed closing the station and cutting fire department positions as a way to save money, saying the city can no longer afford to staff nine companies at the current levels without addressing long-term healthcare and pension costs.
“Cities all throughout the state have been willing to take the steps that our city council has not been willing to take — adopting municipal healthcare reform — so that we could have sensible healthcare plans for our employees, ones that we can afford, as opposed to the Cadillac version that we have now,” Mitchell said. “We can do this. It’s very manageable.”
Meanwhile, the city council maintains that it’s not necessary to close Station 9.
“We’re going to keep pushing and showing that we have the funding for this budget,” Councilor at Large Shane Burgo told 12 News. “We are going to keep advocating and trying to work with this administration. This council has always been one that wants to work collaboratively with this administration.”
A man accused of wielding an axe in a road rage incident is in custody after a weekend incident in Wareham.
Massachusetts State Police received multiple calls on Saturday morning from people reporting a man with an axe in Route 195 East near the Wareham rest stop.
Troopers and Wareham Police responded to the area of Swifts Beach where the suspect was later found and taken into custody.
Police arrested a suspect in New Bedford in connection with a shooting in Fall River earlier this week.
The shooting happened Tuesday night in the area of Cash and Jencks streets. Police said they were called to the area just before 11 p.m. and found the victim in a parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was brought to the hospital after being treated at the scene.
On Friday, Fall River police were notified by New Bedford police that a suspect in the shooting was seen in their city. Fall River detectives began surveilling the Coffin Avenue home while a search warrant was obtained, according to police.
Once police entered the building, several people tried to hide. The suspect, Bruno Darosa, 18, was arrested while trying to hide in the attic, police said.
Police also said they found Smith & Wesson .380-caliber firearm with a laser attachment and a loaded eight-round magazine discarded in a toilet. The gun didn’t have a serial number, according to police.
Darosa was taken to the hospital for treatment before he was booked at Fall River police headquarters. He’s charged with assault and battery with a firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, vandalizing property, breaking and entering a vehicle at nighttime with intent to commit a felony, larceny under $1,200, and larceny of a credit card.
A UMass Dartmouth football player died and another was injured following a stabbing just after midnight Friday outside Mezzo Lounge on Charles Street.
According to Providence Police Major David Lapatin, the club appeared to be overcrowded and the doors were shut so more people couldn’t get in. That’s when he says a fight broke out in the parking lot, which led to the stabbing.
One victim, 18-year-old Marvins Antoine, was stabbed in the chest, according to police. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The second victim, a 19-year-old, suffered non-life-threatening injuries to the head and neck area. He was also transported to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment.
Both victims are members of the UMass Dartmouth football team.
Police identified the stabbing suspect as 19-year-old Chukuwnonso Uzoma-eze, saying he is also a student at UMass Dartmouth.
“The entire UMass Dartmouth community mourns the loss of Marvins Antoine. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Marvins family and friends during this difficult time,” the college said in a statement.
Students and faculty, as well as people from Antoine’s hometown of Fall River, gathered on campus Saturday night for a vigil in his honor.
“Literally, when you think of him, all you can think of is his smile,” his friend Keon Campbell said. “He was like the friendliest person. He was just the best bro.”
“It really shows the type of person he was to have all of these people come for him. That’s crazy,” Campbell added. “It really hit me this morning. I woke up at like 4 in the morning to the message on my phone. I was like … this can’t be true. No way.”
The sole holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial in Massachusetts says he didn't have any doubts that she deliberately killed her children.
In a statement first reported by NewsNation, Michael P. Desronvil said as tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, he kept getting cut off as if he had doubts based on the evidence present.
Desronvil said based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presents, he thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned.
His attorney Edward Paltzik said Desronvil is lying low in a undisclosed rural area in New England.
Clancy admitted to killing her three children in 2023, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. A mistrial was declared earlier this month and Clancy will be back in court on September 29th to see if prosecutors will seek a retrial.
Police have arrested a man and are still searching for a woman after a police chase that began in Somerset Friday evening.
Officers first attempted to pull over the suspects’ car after receiving reports of suspected criminal activity at a Somerset bank.
Police said the driver refused to stop and the officers chased after the car, but had to call off the pursuit due to traffic on Wilbur Avenue.
The chase picked up again in Fall River after the car drove past a detective in an unmarked police cruiser.
Police said the detective followed the car onto Route 79 until officers in marked cruisers caught up to them.
Officers once again attempted to pull the car over but were unsuccessful.
Police said the chase ended in Dighton, where officers successfully deployed stop sticks.
Officers from several surrounding cities and towns, including Fall River, Freetown, Berkley and Dighton, were involved in the pursuit, according to police.
Police said a man was arrested and a woman remains at large. Neither suspect has been identified, and police said the woman is wanted for non-violent offenses.
One person has died and another was injured following a stabbing just after midnight Saturday outside of Mezzo Lounge on Charles Street.
According to Providence Police Major David Lapatin, the club appeared to be overcrowded and doors were shut to not let additional people in.
That’s when he says a fight broke out in the parking lot resulting in the stabbing of two men.
One victim, an 18-year-old, suffered stab wounds to the chest. He was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
UMass Dartmouth identified the victim as Marvins Antoine.
“The entire UMass Dartmouth community mourns the loss of Marvins Antoine. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Marvins family and friends during this difficult time,” they said in a statement.
A second victim, a 19-year-old, suffered non-life-threatening injuries to the head and neck area. He was also transported to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment.
Police added that both victims were members of the UMass Dartmouth Football team.
Police said a suspect is currently being held in the custody of the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.
Providence Democratic Mayor nominee David Morales released a statement that read in part “I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of an 18-year-old UMass student whose life was cut short overnight on Charles Street. Just two weeks ago, his mom sent him off to college with hope and pride for everything ahead of him. Today, she and an entire community are grieving an unimaginable.
City Council member Justin Roias also released a statement, reading in part “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the young man who lost his life, and I’m hoping for a full recovery for the second victim. This remains an active investigation. I’ll share additional information with neighbors as I receive confirmed details.”
Firefighters rescued two cats and a dog from a fire in a home connected to a post office at 1976 Main Road that caused significant damage to the house but left the post office unscathed.
Fire Chief Daniel Baldwin said the post office closed for the remainder of the day due to the Sept. 16 fire but will likely be ready to reopen on Sept. 17. There was no fire or smoke damage to the post office building.
Baldwin said the occupants were not home when the fire was called in around 10:32 a.m. Passersby and neighbors started to see smoke coming from the building, he said.
The cats were found alive. Firefighters had to pull the dog out, which was semi-responsive and had difficulty breathing. The dog was resuscitated with a pet oxygen mask by paramedics, Baldwin said.
Once the dog was little more alert, they carried it to the homeowner’s vehicle and drove it to a local emergency facility.
Baldwin said they sent firefighters a video of the dog walking into the facility, “which was a great sign.”
Baldwin said he believed the two-story, Cape-style home has historic significance. According to assessor records, the structure was built in 1828. The house and post office are separated by a wall.
A Fall River man accused of attacking a couple with a knife in a Somerset hotel on Aug. 1 is no longer being charged with attempted murder as his case moves to Bristol County Superior Court.
Kyle Barboza, 43, was indicted by a grand jury on Sept. 10, moving his case to the county’s higher court.
He still faces two counts of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury. However, two counts of attempted murder he faced in District Court are not in his grand jury indictment.
Those have been replaced with two counts of assault with intent to commit assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a felony.
Added to his Superior Court case are charges stemming from a separate July 5 attack on family members: one misdemeanor assault and battery charge and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Barboza is also facing one count of intimidating a witness, juror, police officer or court official on July 5.
A Superior Court date has not yet been set. A scheduled probable cause hearing for Barboza in District Court still appears on Massachusetts' online court database, but it could be canceled as indictments typically supersede probable cause hearings and end district court cases.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The number of first time filings for unemployment are increasing across Massachusetts.
That's according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which says for the week ending September 12th, there were more than 36-hundred first time filings in the state, which is slightly higher than the week prior.
Nationally, the number of initial filings decreased compared to the week prior.
Police have arrested a Taunton man accused of killing his girlfriend Thursday afternoon, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
First responders rushed to an Alcott Circle townhouse after receiving reports of a woman who Quinn said “was described as being unconscious.”
The woman, identified by Quinn as 37-year-old Shannon Smith, was discovered unresponsive at the bottom of a staircase inside the townhouse.
Smith, of Bridgewater, was rushed to Morton Hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to Quinn.
Investigators determined that Smith’s boyfriend, identified by Quinn as 37-year-old Matthew Cruz, lived in the townhouse and that her death was the result of a “domestic incident” between the two of them.
Cruz was taken into custody and charged with murder. He is expected to face a judge Friday morning.
The debate over whether to keep a New Bedford fire station in operation continued this week.
During a special meeting Tuesday night, the city council said it wants answers about the future of Station 9.
Mayor Jon Mitchell suggested closing the Ashley Boulevard station and letting go of recently hired firefighters back in May in an effort to close a $32 million budget gap. He said the city can no longer afford to staff nine fire companies at the current levels without addressing long-term health care and pension costs.
Mitchell did not attend Tuesday’s meeting since he was out of town, according to his spokesperson, but the mayor’s office sent a designee on his behalf.
Council members made some strong statements toward Mitchell, saying they’ve been in the dark about his intentions for Station 9.
In a motion that passed, Councilman Shane Burgo called on Mitchell to explain his plans and priorities.
“I’d like to make a motion to request the mayor inform the
city council, fire department, and most importantly, the general public what plans he has for the nearly $2 million that he currently has in the tax levy and to explain why the plan is more important than keeping Engine 9 in operation,” Burgo said during the meeting.
Mitchell’s spokesperson, Neil Mello, said the mayor has made roughly half a dozen attempts to adopt health care-related reforms, and the city council has also approved increases in pension benefits three or four times, despite the mayor recommending otherwise.
Station 9 is currently being kept open with $500,000 in state funding secured by state Sen. Mark Montigny. But since it costs about $1.8 million a year to operate, Mello said that will only allow it to operate until October or November.
Mitchell’s office said if the council wants to have a serious policy discussion about health care and pension costs, the mayor’s door is wide open.
After three decades missing, nine historical artifacts have been returned to the U.S.S. Massachusetts in Fall River.
FBI Boston coordinated with the Fall River Police Department to make this reunion possible.
Some of the items returned to the World War II battleship include documents from the 1940s and manuals to help the crew keep the vessel afloat and combat-ready.
“Anything that was original to the ship is precious to us,” said Christopher Nardi, the chief operating officer of Battleship Cove.
Last year, the FBI Boston and Fall River police initiated an investigation after they were alerted that missing items from the ship had appeared in a social media post.
“They asked some questions and contacted the holder at the time,” Nardi explained. “They had people in Texas that recovered the items, and they were sent back here.”
The items had been in the possession of a family from Texas, who found them in a storage unit among their late father’s belongings.
The father had actually worked on refurbishing the ship in the ’90s, FBI Boston explained in a press release, adding that the family chose to voluntarily relinquish the artifacts.
“One of the books that came back was a damage control book,” Nardi said, explaining that this document is “like a Bible for where the ship is laid out and all the systems.”
“To have that copy of the damage control book back was quite meaningful to us,” he said.
The bipartisan “16 & Up Social Media Act,” introduced just a few days ago by Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and Congresswoman Erin Houchin of Indiana, would make kids ineligible to use social media until they turn 16.
Auchincloss told 12 News he believes features like autoplay, push notifications and infinite scrolling can get kids hooked on social media, adding that, as a parent, he’s passionate about child development.
“We’re all anxious about the negative impact of social media on kids’ emotional development, on their ability to enjoy time in real life with friends and family, and on their attention spans,” the congressman said.
Under this bill, social media platforms would have to block underage users from creating accounts, as well as identify and delete existing accounts operated by underage users.
12 News spoke with locals who come down on both sides of the issue.
“There’s a lot of influences out there,” said Susan Dunnington of Providence. “It’s hard when you’re eight, nine, ten, trying to figure out what’s a good influence and what’s not.”
“People should have a right to choose,” Christopher Woodley said, adding, “I think stuff like that should be more monitored by their parents, not controlled by the system.”
The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, Sept. 10, and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. That committee won’t meet next until after the midterm elections.
Convicted former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia is out of federal prison and now works as a marketing manager for a local restaurant, 12 News has learned.
Correia, 34, was released back in July after serving more than half of his six-year sentence.
Though he served most of his sentence behind bars in New Hampshire and Kentucky, Correia was allowed to move back home and transition into a reentry program last year.
Correia was convicted in 2021 of shaking down prospective marijuana business owners for bribes, defrauding investors in his now-defunct app SnoOwl and lying to the IRS.
The jury found him guilty of 21 counts, but the trial judge later tossed out 10 of them based on technicalities in the law.
On top of his prison sentence, Corriea was ordered to pay more than $310,000 in restitution to his victims.
The Salvation Army of Fall River is inviting runners and walkers to support programs for local children and families during its 16th annual Fall River 5K Walk and Run on Sept. 26 at the Holiday Inn Express, 360 Airport Road in Fall River.
The event will begin with check-in at 8:30 a.m. and the race at 10 a.m., according to a community announcement. Proceeds will remain in the local area to support youth-focused programs, including scholarships to Camp Wonderland, an overnight camp in Sharon, and year-round enrichment activities.
Organizers said the fundraiser helps address needs in a community where nearly 1 in 5 residents live in poverty and some families struggle to afford essentials such as food, winter clothing and afterschool care. According to the announcement, funds raised each year help send dozens of local children to Camp Wonderland at little or no cost to their families.
Founded in 1884, The Salvation Army in Fall River serves residents of Fall River, Freetown, Assonet, Swansea, Somerset and Westport. The organization provides assistance through programs that address hunger, support people experiencing homelessness and offer a range of social services.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is proposing two-million dollars to expand postpartum care statewide.
The money would expand a program that sends nurses to the homes of families after a baby is born. Nurses can screen for mental health concerns and connect parents with additional care. The program currently serves about three-thousand births each year, but the proposal would make visits available statewide.
The announcement comes as the Lindsay Clancy trial has brought increased attention to postpartum mental health.
The judge from the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial is indefinitely sealing the jurors' names.
The Massachusetts woman admitted to killing her three young children in 2023, but argued postpartum psychosis made her not criminally responsible.
A jury recently failed to return a verdict, resulting in a mistrial. Now, Judge William Sullivan is concerned about juror safety and the risk of immediate and irreparable harm if the names were released. This comes after reports identified the holdout juror.
Sullivan says most jurors have remained anonymous despite requests for interviews. Individual jurors are allowed to identify themselves or speak publicly about the case if they want to.
More than a dozen lawsuits filed against the owners of the Gabriel House assisted living facility, where 10 residents died and dozens more were injured in a devastating fire last year, were consolidated earlier this month into one master complaint.
The tragedy at Gabriel House on July 13, 2025, shook the city to its core and marked the state’s deadliest fire in more than 40 years.
Firefighters rushed to the assisted living facility early that morning after receiving several 911 calls from inside the building. Those firefighters were immediately met with thick black smoke, roaring flames and trapped residents hanging out of windows.
More than 30 residents and five firefighters were brought to nearby hospitals to receive treatment for various injuries.
There were approximately 70 residents of varying mobility living at the Gabriel House, which first opened in 1999, at the time of fire. The residents who survived their injuries or escaped unharmed lost nearly everything in the fire, including a place to live.
The new master complaint was filed last week in Bristol County Superior Court on behalf of eight families who lost their loved ones in the fire and more than two dozen surviving residents.
Gas prices are rising this week across Massachusetts.
That's according to Triple A, which says the current average cost per-gallon is at four-dollars and 34-cents in the state, which is more than ten-cents higher than last week.
Nationally, the average cost per-gallon is at four-dollars and 31-cents.
A sixth grader in Portsmouth has taken her concerns directly to town leaders, calling for changes to improve pedestrian safety near her school.
Hailey Buckell began sixth grade at Portsmouth Middle School just over two weeks ago, but told 12 News she and her classmates feel nervous walking to school each morning.
While there is a crosswalk at the school’s entrance, Hailey said it is often blocked by vehicles during drop-off and pickup times, forcing students to cross elsewhere. She said the situation is especially scary because it can be difficult for drivers to see them as they approach a nearby curve.
In a handwritten letter addressed to Portsmouth Town Clerk Jennifer West and Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Hailey pointed to several safety concerns surrounding the intersection of Jepson Lane and Sisson Pond Road.
“I walk to school and [almost] get hit by cars every other day on the corner in morning and night,” she wrote.
“People come around the corners way [too] fast.”
Some of the dangers she worries about include speeding, distracted driving and road conditions.
“These changes can make this road safer and help prevent someone from getting hurt,” she added. “We shouldn’t wait for a [serious] accident to happen before fixing a problem that we already know is there.”
UMass Dartmouth will receive $730,090 in state funding to expand offshore wind workforce training and support research tied to the industry's development in New England.
The funding is part of a $4.2 million offshore wind investment package announced by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, according to a community announcement. The awards will support student internships, research on cod spawning grounds in Southern New England and development of a regional monitoring strategy for the Gulf of Maine.
"Offshore wind means good jobs, more clean energy and real economic opportunity for Massachusetts," Healey said. "We’re investing in the workers who will build this industry and the research needed to develop it responsibly and protect our fisheries, wildlife and marine environment."
UMass Dartmouth received three grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center totaling $730,090. The university was awarded $250,000 to continue its Closing the Experience Gap offshore wind internship program, $280,501 to continue research examining potential impacts on cod spawning grounds and $199,589 to help create a regional data-collection strategy supporting offshore wind monitoring efforts in the Gulf of Maine.
On a breezy Friday morning, one fact appeared to weigh on the city officials gathered in the shadow of the Braga Bridge: an entire generation has grown up with no memory of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
“Twenty-five years is a long time. There are now firefighters serving in departments across this country who were not alive on Sept. 11,” Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said.
On that day, terrorists hijacked four commercial planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon and one into a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back. The attacks killed 2,977 people, with thousands more dying in later years due to health issues stemming from the attacks.
“For those of us who remember Sept. 11, we remember exactly where we were, we remember the images, we remember the uncertainty and the sadness and we remember the incredible courage we witnessed that day,” Bacon said at Fall River’s annual 9/11 Rite of Reflection held Friday at Battleship Cove.
The mood was somber as bagpipes accompanied a color guard, a firefighter struck the ceremonial four fives on the bell, a memorial wreath was laid, and a 21-gun salute rang from the USS Massachusetts.
“It’s my hope that we do not wait for tragedy to unite us again. Let us carry this spirit to our daily lives by supporting our local heroes and standing by our neighbors,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said.
The second woman arrested in connection with a deadly shooting that happened at a Taunton house party over the weekend faced a judge Friday.
Malkiah Cunningham, 25, of New Bedford, pleaded not guilty to murder and seven counts of assault with intent to murder, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
This comes two days after another New Bedford woman, identified by Quinn as 25-year-old Sienna Barboza, was taken into custody on the same charges. Barboza was ordered held without bail Thursday morning.
Officers rushed to a Weir Street home around 12:30 a.m. early Sunday morning after receiving reports of a shooting with several victims.
In total, eight victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Quinn said that one of those victims, identified as 22-year-old Zirovick Depina, died from his injuries several hours later at the hospital.
Quinn said the remaining victims, who are all in their 20s, are expected to survive. Investigators believe the shooting happened during a gathering in the yard outside of the residence.
For Howard Crabtree, Sept. 11, 2001 will forever be seared into his memory.
“It’s kind of surreal at this point,” he said. “It just gets burned into your psyche.”
The Johnston man, who worked as a ramp supervisor for American Airlines at Boston Logan International Airport, told 12 News his job was to make sure traveler’s bags were loaded onto the correct flights in a timely manner.
Crabtree said he was on the tarmac when Flight 11 left for Los Angeles that morning.
“It was a beautiful day,” Crabtree said. “We weren’t that busy and we thought it was going to be a relatively calm shift.”
Crabtree remembers receiving a concerning call over the radio as workers loaded dozens of suitcases onto Flight 11.
“‘Hey, I still have some bags for this plane,'” he recalled his colleague telling him. “I said, ‘Well, you’re cutting it really close.'”
Crabtree said Flight 11 was on track to leave at 7:45 a.m.
“He came out [onto the tarmac] at like 7:44 a.m. with the bags,” he continued. “We were like, ‘We’re not putting these on the plane. They can’t go on the plane because it’s going to be late and we’re not going to cause the delay.'”
Crabtree said the two suitcases, which came from a connecting commuter flight that originated in Maine, were left behind as a result.
“I didn’t know at the time that the passengers had made it on the flight, but I did know we were not putting those bags on the plane,” he said.
Crabtree said the next hour was business as usual as he began preparing another outgoing flight for takeoff.
It wasn’t until he heard a commotion on his radio and returned to the operations office that he realized something was wrong.
“There was a little TV in our operations office, and the news was breaking in about something that happened in New York,” Crabtree said. “We were like, ‘What the hell is going on?'”
Crabtree and his colleagues eventually learned that Flight 11 had been hijacked and flown deliberately into the World Trade Center’s North Tower nearly an hour after takeoff.
“My boss at the time came in, he was crying, and he said, ‘It was Flight 11 that hit the first tower, and we have a real problem on our hands,'” Crabtree said. “Everyone was obviously shell-shocked.”
“It was chaos,” he added. “Everything just stopped. The FAA shut down the airspace and we had to move the planes off the gates.”
Crabtree then received another call on his radio from his colleague about the bags that never made it on the flight.
“He was like, ‘Those two bags that you guys left off Flight 11 — I still have them in the bag room,'” he said.
Crabtree rushed over to secure those bags.
“I knew I was going to have to take control of them and make sure they were locked up,” he said, adding that the bags were eventually “put off to the side” in a locked cage.
By that point, Crabtree said Massachusetts State Police troopers were already scouring the airport with K-9s.
Twenty-five years after the attacks that changed the country forever, Massachusetts’ official 9/11 memorial in Fall River will once again become a place of remembrance.
Battleship Cove will mark the 25th anniversary with its annual Rite of Reflection from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, bringing together local public safety officials, families, and community members to remember those who were lost.
This year’s ceremony will include honor guards, local public safety officials, live music, a wreath-laying, and a 21-gun salute from the USS Massachusetts. Doves will also be released as a symbol of peace.
Darlene Tetreault, president and founder of the South Coast Nurse Honor Guard, will serve as this year’s guest speaker.
For Battleship Cove’s Chief Operating Officer Christopher Nardi, who has been with the organization for more than 30 years, the ceremony is one a commitment he takes seriously.
“It’s a very solemn responsibility. People have expectations. We feel very honored to be the site for that memorial,” he said.
It’s been 25 years since the U.S. was the target of a coordinated terrorist attack that killed thousands.
The September 11, 2001, tragedy marks one of the darkest days in the country’s history.
Local victims who were lost that day include:
David Lawrence Angell, a Barrington native, and his wife Lynn were passengers on American Airlines Flight 11 en route to California.
Carol Marie Bouchard, of Warwick, was an emergency room secretary at Kent Hospital. She was traveling on Flight 11 to Las Vegas with her friend, Renee Newell.
Mark Lawrence Charette was born and raised in Warwick. He worked as an insurance broker at Marsh & McLennan in New Jersey. He was at a meeting at Marsh’s offices in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
James Edward Hayden, 47, native of Pawtucket, was on United Flight 175.
Amy Nicole Jarret, 28, of North Smithfield, was a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175.
Kathryn L. LaBorie, 44, of Providence, was a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175.
Renee Tetreault Newell was traveling to Las Vegas with Carol Bouchard on Flight 11.
Jessica Leigh Sachs, 23, a native of Rhode Island, was on Flight 11.
Shawn M. Nassaney, of Pawtucket, was aboard Flight 175 with Lynn Goodchild for a getaway trip to Hawaii.
Peter Gay, 54, a native of Taunton, was on one of his weekly commutes to California as the vice president of Raytheon.
Lynn Goodchild, of Attleboro, was aboard Flight 175 with Shawn Nassaney for a getaway trip to Hawaii.
Rev. Francis E Grogan, 76, was the superior of the Holy Cross residence in North Dartmouth when he was killed in the crash of United Flight 175.
Dianne Snyder of Westport, Mass., was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11.
Police have arrested a New Bedford woman accused of shooting and killing another man at a Taunton house party last weekend.
Sienna Barboza, 25, was taken into custody Wednesday in connection with the shooting that happened early Sunday morning, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
Officers rushed to a Weir Street home around 12:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting with several victims.
In total, eight victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Quinn said that one of those victims, identified as 22-year-old Zirovick Depina, died from his injuries several hours later at the hospital.
Quinn said the remaining victims, who are all in their 20s, are expected to survive. Investigators believe the shooting happened during a gathering in the yard outside of the residence.
Barboza has been charged with murder and seven counts of assault with intent to murder. She is expected to face a judge Thursday morning.
Swansea remains committed to supporting the annual Toys for Tots campaign, despite concerns surrounding the nonprofit’s use of the Nike Site Road facility.
Swansea Town Administrator Mitchell Ruscitti confirmed that Toys for Tots has not been canceled this year. He also emphasized that the town has repeatedly worked to ensure Toys for Tots can continue operating safely and successfully.
Ruscitti explained that the town has allowed Toys for Tots to use the facility at no cost to organize its holiday drive each year.
However, he said the town has faced “repeated issues with the Swansea Independent Baseball League’s use of the property.”
“These issues have included vandalism, unauthorized access and use of the property, locks being cut or replaced, and town employees being prevented from entering facilities,” Ruscitti said.
In response to these issues, Ruscitti said the town has asked Toys for Tots to sign a facility-use agreement that’s consistent with other nonprofits.
“This administrative requirement allows the town to schedule use of the property, control access, and ensure activities are conducted safely,” he continued. “The town remains ready to provide access to the Nike Site once Toys for Tots completes the facility-use agreement.”
The town has also offered the Council on Aging building on Ocean Grove Avenue as an alternative location for the holiday drive, according to Ruscitti.
“The town supports the incredible work done by Toys for Tots and wants its campaign to succeed,” Ruscitti said. “We are ready to move forward. The suggestion that the town is placing this toy drive in jeopardy is simply not accurate.”
The clarification comes after Toys for Tots made a post about the dispute on social media late last month.
The defense attorney for Lindsay Clancy said in an interview Wednesday he will ask for the case to be thrown out after hearing from some of the jurors.
Kevin Reddington, during an appearance on“CBS Mornings,” said he will file a motion to dismiss on “double jeopardy grounds.”
“It will be a motion to dismiss based on what’s called double jeopardy grounds, because there’s no … manifest necessity,” he claimed during the interview.
Clancy is facing murder charges in the deaths of her three young children, Cora, Dawson and Callan. A five-week trial ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to come to a unanimous verdict after seven days of deliberation.
Prosecutors argued Clancy planned to kill her children and knew what she was doing, while Reddington argued Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and not criminally responsible for her actions.
The jury, made up of nine women and three men, was split 11 to 1 in favor of finding Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity, according to the jury foreperson Roni Carlson.
In an interview, Carlson reiterated a note sent to the judge saying a juror was not following the rules on reasonable doubt. She stated the juror had expressed he had doubts about the case, but still would not find her not guilty by reason of insanity.
Reddington asked the judge to dismiss the juror on the grounds he made statements acknowledging doubt but would not apply it to the verdict as the law says must be done.
Judge William Sullivan denied the motion, as well as a request to question jurors further on the matter.
Reddington is arguing the mistrial was not necessary
because Sullivan could have questioned the juror further, and that is why the case should be dismissed.
It is not clear how likely Reddington is to succeed in getting the case dismissed, as double jeopardy does not typically apply in a mistrial. On Tuesday, Reddington also publicly asked President Trump to consider pardoning Clancy.
Crews responded to the intersection of Walnut and S. Sixth streets just before 10 p.m. for a report of a crash involving a Saturn Sedan and a motorcycle.
The motorcyclist, identified as Anthony Navarro Rodriguez, was found on the ground with significant injuries.
He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital and then airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition, according to police. He was pronounced dead on Saturday.
The driver of the Sedan remained on scene and was not injured.
Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed at a house party in Taunton early Sunday morning, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III.
Officers rushed to a Weir Street home around 12:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting with several victims.
Quinn said eight victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. He added that one of those victims, identified as 22-year-old Zirovick Depina, died from his injuries several hours later at the hospital.
The remaining victims, who Quinn said are all in their 20s, are expected to survive. Quinn said one of the victims remains in serious condition and the rest are being treated for injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening.
Investigators believe the shooting happened during a gathering in the yard outside of the residence.
It’s unclear if anyone is in custody at this time.
A judge in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial declared a mistrial Friday after jurors failed to reach a verdict in a case that sharply divided many Americans over whether the Massachusetts woman should be criminally responsible for killing her three young children.
The trial generated intense interest for weeks, drawing attention to maternal mental health after childbirth.
Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, never disputed that she killed the children. But her attorney said she had a rare condition called postpartum psychosis when she strangled her kids — the youngest just 8 months old — then tried to take her own life in 2023.
Prosecutors said Clancy knew what she was doing.
Friday’s mistrial, on the seventh day of deliberations, leaves the case unresolved. In the end, the decision seemed to surprise no one in the courtroom. Neither Clancy nor her family showed emotion as the judge announced the trial was ending without a resolution.
Clancy remains charged with murder and is expected to stay at a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.
Police are investigating a head-on crash involving a school bus that happened in Somerset Thursday afternoon.
Officers rushed to Brayton Point Road just before 3 p.m. after receiving several 911 calls regarding a crash involving a car and school bus.
No students on the bus were injured, according to police.
Investigators believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the school bus. The driver was brought to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Somerset Superintendent Jeffrey Schoonover told 12 News 11 middle school students were on the bus at the time. He also confirmed the bus driver was not injured.
Schoonover said the students were brought to Somerset Middle School by a different bus and reunited with their families.
New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody has recommended firing two officers following the completion of internal affairs investigations stemming from an extensive audit of the department’s automated license plate reader use.
During a press conference Thursday morning, city officials unveiled the outcomes of those investigations, which concluded that Officer Emily Pacheco and Sgt. James Marinelli violated multiple policies by misusing ALPR technology.
Thody ordered a comprehensive audit and procedural review of the department’s Flock Safety system on July 31. That same day, investigators identified activity by Pacheco that indicated possible unauthorized access, and she was immediately suspended, according to Thody.
Last month, New Bedford paused the use of its Flock cameras after a woman accused her ex-girlfriend, Pacheco, of using the system to follow her. Pacheco was subsequently put on paid administrative leave and a civil restraining order will remain in place until February 2027.
The investigation into Pacheco reportedly revealed a vast pattern of misconduct. Thody said she repeatedly used department resources to obtain information about a former romantic partner and that person’s new partner.
A woman is being charged with aggravated intimidation of a witness in the Lindsay Clancy trial.
Dawn Light was arrested on Tuesday while sitting in her car and allegedly recording jurors. Her parking spot provided a view of the door being used by jurors, whose identities are being kept secret under court order.
Light allegedly told State Police she only wanted to see Clancy, but when officers checked her phone, they discovered video of jurors.
She pleaded not guilty Wednesday and her attorney calls the incident a misunderstanding.
The Lindsay Clancy murder trial ended its fifth day without a verdict.
The panel again told Judge William Sullivan it couldn't reach a unanimous decision. Sullivan issued a special instruction urging jurors to reconsider their positions.
Jurors have deliberated for nearly 30 hours and will return Thursday morning.
Clancy has admitted to killing her three children, but argues she is not criminally responsible due to her postpartum psychosis.
A man charged in connection with a New Bedford church assault has been ordered to undergo mental health evaluations following a courtroom outburst.
Jose Nascimento, 59, is accused of punching and striking a priest with a beer can at Mount Carmel Church earlier this week. His initial arraignment was postponed after he began shouting profanities and had to be escorted out of court Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a judge ordered Nascimento to be further examined at Bridgewater State Hospital for a 20-day period. According to an expert opinion, he lacked behavioral control and an understanding of the events that were happening at the time.
Nascimento is expected back to appear in court again later this month.
Under blue skies and framed by one of Fall River’s most recognizable landmarks, dignitaries from both sides of the Atlantic joined local leaders and community members Aug. 31 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Portas da Cidade, also known as Gates of the City, honoring a monument that has become a lasting symbol of immigration, cultural pride and the enduring relationship between Fall River and the Azores.
The ceremony brought together former Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Azores Regional Government President Jose? Manuel Bolieiro, Ponta Delgada Vice-Mayor Pedro Furtado, state and local officials, community leaders and members of the Portuguese-American community to reflect on two decades since the replica of Ponta Delgada’s iconic Portas da Cidade was dedicated on Fall River’s waterfront.
Throughout the event, speakers returned to a common theme: the monument represents far more than stone and architecture. Instead, they said, it stands as a powerful reminder of generations of immigrants who crossed the Atlantic, established families and businesses, and helped shape both Fall River and southeastern New England while preserving their connection to the Azores.
Voting on Election Day will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, at polling locations across Greater Fall River.
Voters will choose candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, and several other state and local offices. Because this is a primary, voters will be choosing which candidates they want to see move on to the November general election.
The primary is a little different from the November election. In September, voters are choosing which candidates they want to see move on to the general election.
Registered Democrats and Republicans will vote in their respective party’s primary, while unenrolled voters can choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot without changing their party registration.
Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial enter their fourth day of deliberations today over whether to hold her criminally responsible for killing her three young children at her Massachusetts home in 2023.
The jury began deliberating in secret last Thursday. It has been quiet since then, with no communications to the judge suggesting how things might be going.
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, doesn’t deny strangling her children but says postpartum psychosis led to her actions. Prosecutors argue she knew what she was doing. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.
The jury could convict her of murder or manslaughter, or acquit her if they believe her deteriorating mental health was to blame. A conviction could lead to a life prison sentence. If she is acquitted, a judge could still order her confined to a mental health facility if an evaluation determines she is a danger to the public.
Clancy’s lawyer argued at the trial that she loved her children, but killed them because she lost her grip on reality — and on herself — due to postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness that can follow childbirth. In the months before the killings, Clancy sought treatment for her worsening mental health, including a stay in a psychiatric hospital.
Prosecutors said Clancy strangled the children because she was depressed and tired of living, and made a conscious choice to kill them before attempting suicide.
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