Governor Maura Healey is proposing 100-million dollars in additional funding for Massachusetts schools.
Districts would receive about 112 dollars more per student to help prevent layoffs and cuts to school programs. The money would come from revenue generated by the state's millionaires tax.
School districts would decide how to use the additional funding based on local needs.
However, the proposal requires approval from the state Legislature.
A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash in Swansea Wednesday afternoon.
Officers were called to Route 6 at Old Fall River Road after receiving reports of a crash involving a motorcycle.
Police said the motorcyclist was brought to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. The driver of the car involved in the crash was not injured.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation at this time.
See more at wpri.com.
Anyone heading outside on Thursday will likely notice a significant haze in the air due to wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canada.
An Air Quality Alert is currently in effect and will extend into later Thursday since the fine particles in the air make for unhealthy conditions.
Poor air quality, especially when combined with higher temperatures, can cause health complications, so it’s important to take precautions and check on family members, friends and neighbors who may be at risk.
While everyone can be affected by poor air quality, some people are more susceptible, including:
Some tips:
See more at wpri.com,
A small plane crashed into Curlew Pond within Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth Thursday morning.
The Plymouth Fire Department confirmed that the pilot was recovered from the water with help from the Plymouth County Dive Team.
The pilot suffered serious injuries and was rushed to an area hospital.
First responders are still trying to determine if anyone else was inside the two-seat plane at the time of the crash.
See more at wpri.com.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is joining the call for an investigation into the deadly shooting of a man in Maine by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
ICE conducted a traffic stop Monday in the city of Biddeford and a 26-year-old Columbian man was killed when he allegedly tried to flee.
Healey said she was "sick to her stomach" when she learned of the incident. The governor said ICE must be held accountable and quote, "this has got to end."
The Fall River Police Department released its first-ever mid-year public safety report Tuesday, which revealed that overall violent crime is down across the city.
J.T. Hoar, Fall River’s acting police chief, told 12 News the mid-year report is already showing some positive trends.
“Right now, in 2026 we’re seeing a downward trend in crime in general,” Hoar said.
The 2026 Mid-Year Public Safety Report shows that violent crime is down by more than 11%, and there’s been a 12% decline in confirmed shootings.
“
For us a confirmed shooting is defined as when someone has called the police or triggered a police response for a shooting — and then when we get there, there’s evidence that supports that, whether its property damage, there’s a victim, or evidence like shell casings or an actual firearm,” Hoar said.
However, the city has seen more homicide victims, with three killed last year and four reported so far in 2026, according to the report.
The increase comes from two separate incidents, with the first happening in January when a mother and son were killed on Barnes Street. The second happened June 10 on Aetna Street where two men were brutally killed in an attack involving a pitchfork.
“Those raise your stats, but it’s really two incidents with multiple victims,” Hoar explained.
Hoar noted that detectives tracked down those murder suspects, and that overall arrests are up by 23%.
“Our major crimes division over the last few years takes great pride in solving the most serious crime, which is murder,” he said. “In 2025, they had 100% clearance rate and in 2026 that holds true as well.”
Police are investigating a stabbing that stemmed from a fight in a New Bedford neighborhood Tuesday evening.
Officers were called to Salisbury Street around 5 p.m. following reports of a fight between tenants.
The officers arrived to find two victims suffering from stab wounds and several others with various injuries, according to police.
Police also said a dog suffered a facial injury in the altercation.
Three victims were brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Investigators believe the fight was related to an ongoing dispute between the tenants.
Officers arrested two men as a result of the investigation, who police identified as 32-year-olds Keven Decarvalho and Chad Saddler.
Decarvalho was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and three counts of assault and battery. Saddler was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.
Police said 30-year-old Tatyana Reyes and a juvenile were also each charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery. Neither were arrested and were instead issued summons to court.
Frim wpri,com.
Southern New Englanders may notice some wildfire smoke in the sky on Wednesday as temperatures once again approach 90 degrees.
A Heat Advisory is in effect, along with an Air Quality Alert, with hazy, hot and humid conditions expected.
High temperatures and poor air quality can lead to serious health complications, so it’s important to check on family members, friends and neighbors who may be at risk.
Smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada has entered our airspace, causing periods of hazy skies. There’s also an elevated fire risk in Massachusetts currently.
While everyone can be affected by poor air quality, some people are more susceptible, including:
The R.I. Department of Environmental Management says the fine particles from wildfire smoke can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, as well as worsen symptoms of asthma and other health conditions.
See more at wpri.com.
It was an emotional evening Monday as dozens gathered to remember the 10 residents who were killed in a devastating fire that ripped through a Fall River assisted living facility last year.
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 rushed 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 city hosted a special remembrance ceremony on Olive Street directly outside of the assisted living facility, which remains boarded up and fenced off.
A bicyclist was hit and killed by a truck in Dartmouth on Monday afternoon, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Police were called to Route 6 west just before noon. Upon arrival, they located a dump truck pulled over to the right side of the road.
Investigators determined that a crash had happened between the truck and a cyclist.
The cyclist, identified as 74-year-old Denise Olson of Westport, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the DA’s office, the truck driver stayed on scene and cooperated with police.
A portion of Route 6 west and Reed Road southbound from Woodcart Drive to State Road were shut down for several hours.
See more at wpri.com.
The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office has released the name of the 17-year-old boy who drowned in a Fall River pond on Sunday.
Crews were called to South Watuppa Pond around 9:30 p.m. Sunday for a report of a juvenile who was missing in the water.
An initial search was unsuccessful, but the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and Dive Team were called in to help.
The victim, identified as Tristan Major, was found about two hours later and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the DA’s office, a group of three juveniles were at the pond when two entered the water to swim to a floating dock. Major struggled in the water and did not return to shore.
Fall River Interim Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Smith released a statement on Monday confirming Major was a former student of Fall River Public Schools.
“The sudden and unexpected death of a young person touches an entire community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all those who are grieving,” Dr. Smith said. “Although Fall River is a city, we are also a close-knit community, and tragedies like this are felt by many of us, even those who may not have a direct connection to the young man.”
School counselors are available for students and staff on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Counseling Hub at B.M.C. Durfee High School.
From wpri.com.
Women from across Massachusetts are being recognized for their contributions to their communities.
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women celebrated its 2026 class of Commonwealth Heroines. The annual program celebrates women who make a difference through leadership, advocacy and service, according to a community announcement.
This year’s class includes 147 honorees — the largest in the program’s history.
Honorees include eight from the Greater Fall River and New Bedford area.
The program is a partnership between the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and state legislators. Each lawmaker is invited to nominate one woman from their district who has demonstrated outstanding service and leadership.
The list includes:
See more at heraldnews.com.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell is joining attorneys general from 48 other states in urging the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on scam robocalls.
The group wants tougher rules to make it harder for scammers to buy and use real phone numbers to trick consumers.
Officials say Americans received nearly 30-billion scam calls and texts last year, costing victims almost two-billion dollars.
Marcel Riley has a vision for the empty greenspace off King Philip Street in Fall River.
He is the force behind an effort to transform the park into Mae’s Playground, a sensory-friendly facility where kids of all abilities can interact and have fun, including his daughter Mae, who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum.
The roughly $1 million playground would have been fully funded with a requested $100,000 earmark in the Massachusetts state budget, but a few weeks ago, Riley learned they would only be getting $10,000.
“Those are our most vulnerable,” Riley told 12 News on Thursday. “If they’re not worth fully funding or meeting halfway, what is?”
See more at wpri.com.
The identities of the two people killed in a serious crash on Route 6 near the Westport-Dartmouth line Friday evening have been released.
The two that died are 34-year-old Tristan Bedient of Acushnet and 51-year-old Kate Aldrich of New Bedford, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
The DA’s office says Dartmouth and Westport police responded to the scene of a motor vehicle crash involving two sedans, one with “catastrophic” damage. The male driver of a Toyota Camry, Bedient, and female passenger, Aldrich, were taken to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The driver and passenger of the second car, a SAAB, had non-life-threatening injuries.
Dartmouth police said Route 6 between Highland Avenue and Route 177 will be completely impassable for a significant amount of time as Dartmouth, Westport, and Massachusetts State Police continue their investigation.
See more at wpri.com.
Monday, July 13, marks one year since a devastating fire at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility shook the city of Fall River, killing 10 residents and injuring dozens of others.
Fall River’s police chaplain, Fr. Rob Nemkovich, was there that night and spent time with survivors and first responders in the days that followed, listening to their stories. He tells 12 News that experience was behind his decision to help the city organize an evening of reflection and prayer outside the Oliver Street building this coming Monday.
“We’re going to honor the lives lost,” Nemkovich said. “Then we’re going to hear from survivors, from our first responders and then from those who helped them at the Timao Center.”
He said the idea is to bring some peace to those who lived through the tragedy and are now scattered throughout the area, which is why he’s organizing transportation for the former Gabriel House residents who want to attend.
See more at wpri.com.
Swansea is sounding its sirens about an event 100 years in the making (well, sort of).
A "massive" weekend-long celebration will be descending on Swansea Veterans Memorial Park starting Friday, July 10, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Swansea Fire Department.
“Our department is proud to invite our community and all those who have volunteered as firefighters during our 100 years of service to celebrate this milestone occasion,” reads a Swansea Fire Department’s Facebook post.
Swansea Fire Department 100 Anniversary Family Fun Weekend will feature three days jam-packed with “great food, music, and memories,” according to the Facebook event page.
The interim superintendent of Fall River Public Schools said she hired Aldo Petronio, the embattled former chief financial officer for Brockton Public Schools, because she's confident in his abilities after their years of close collaboration while she was Brockton's superintendent.
Kathleen Smith said she has direct knowledge of his expertise and stellar reputation among school finance officials. Her experience with him outweighed that he led Brockton Public Schools' finance office at the time of the 2023 budget crisis, she said.
“In the end, to me, that trumped what had happened," she told The Enterprise in a July 7 phone interview.
Since November 2025, Petronio has been embroiled in a federal lawsuit against the city of Brockton, school district and multiple officials, including former Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan. Petronio said he warned Sullivan and other officials of the mounting deficit long before it became public in August of 2023 and proposed solutions that were ignored by the same people who later blamed him for not having taken action. Defendants have pointed out that multiple audits, including one by a state agency, named Petronio as one of the people responsible for the surprise shortfall.
See more at heraldnews.com.
In response to the ongoing housing crisis, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll announced a new round of Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) tax credit awards to support six projects across the state.
The awards, totaling $18.2 million, will be used to expand housing opportunities and transform underutilized properties, which they said will create 662 homes in cities like Taunton and Fall River.
“The Housing Development Incentive Program is a tremendous catalyst for additional housing in the city of Fall River,” Mayor Paul Coogan said Thursday. “As the need for housing continues to grow, this program helps create valuable housing assets that strengthen our community.”
The Durfee Block Apartments in Fall River and the Whittenton Mill Apartments in Taunton were chosen to receive the HDIP funding. Officials said Durfee Block will get $1.5 million for the “adaptive reuse” of the historic building, which will create 22 new rental homes. Whittenton Mill will be demolished and rebuilt into 390 rental homes with $3.8 million in funding.
See more at wpri.com.
Families gathered at the pond behind Bristol Community College on June 28 for the inaugural Casting Futures Youth Fishing Derby, an event focused on outdoor recreation and introducing children to fishing.
The free community event, held in Fall River, brought together anglers of all ages for a morning of fishing, friendly competition, prizes and family fun, according to a community announcement. The derby reflected Rep. Steven J. Ouellette’s commitment to promoting outdoor recreation and creating opportunities for families to spend quality time together.
“Some of my favorite memories have been made outdoors with family and friends. When I found out Resident Harris was a fan of fresh water fishing, I knew this derby had to happen in partnership with BristolCC and the Fall River Delegation" said Ouellette, according to the announcement. “Seeing children experience the excitement of catching their first fish, while families spent the day together enjoying one of Massachusetts’ great outdoor traditions, is exactly what Casting Futures was meant to accomplish. Events like this strengthen our communities and create memories that last a lifetime.”
Participants celebrated their first catches, learned fishing skills and enjoyed an environment designed to encourage a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and conservation.
Ouellette was joined by fellow elected officials and community leaders, including Rep. Carole Fiola, president Sedgwick Harris, Sen. Michael Rodrigues and Alan Silvia, whose support helped make the event a success.
See more at heraldnews.com.
There is an active stolen car investigation in Swansea.
Police responded to a reported crash on Pearse Road shortly after noon Tuesday. A vehicle that had been stolen was found submerged in Coles River. It was determined the driver escaped the vehicle after it went into the water and fled the scene.
There were no reported injuries.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey and U.S. Representative Seth Moulton are trading jabs in the first debate for the Massachusetts Senate primary.
Wednesday, the two Democrats traded sharp attacks at WWLP 22News in Chicopee.
They sparred over age, health care, transgender athletes and personal finances. Markey questioned Moulton's ties to military contractors, while Moulton argued Democrats need generational change.
The September 1st primary is approaching, and two more debates are scheduled.
Monday marks one year since flames ripped through the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, killing 10 residents and injuring dozens of others.
The tragedy shook the city to its core and marked the state’s deadliest fire in more than 40 years.
“That was the toughest day of my life,” Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan recalled.
Three men are facing charges after three officers were hit by fireworks in New Bedford over the weekend.
Officers were called to Monte Park off Acushnet Avenue Sunday night to disperse a crowd that had formed following the city’s Cape Verdean Independence Day festivities.
Police said as officers began dispersing the crowd, someone tossed at least three lit fireworks in their direction.
Though the officers were able to jump out of the way of the first one, police said the second one hit three of them. The third lit firework was thrown into a nearby tree, according to police.
See more at wpri.com.
Alumni of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School who had hoped to bid farewell to the old building one last time are going to be disappointed: the school has announced a final walkthrough is canceled.
A nostalgic walk of their alma mater’s hallways was originally scheduled for Sunday, July 12. The school announced via social media on Tuesday, July 7, that recent flooding “caused a major power outage and a loss of essential building utilities.”
“Because the building currently lacks electrical power, running water, and restroom facilities, it is impossible to safely welcome visitors inside for a final walkthrough before the transition to the new campus this summer,” the school stated.
The school is instead hosting a “yard sale” from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Diman gymnasium.
Diman is making available “surplus items and memorabilia” from the old building for free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parking is available in the school’s student lot, which currently has a gravel surface.
Though the school was founded in 1912, the old Diman building on Stonehaven Road first opened to students in September 1968. According to The Herald News at the time, more than 700 students were welcomed inside its doors. But as decades passed, the student population outgrew the aging building.
See more at heraldnews.com.
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