“We’re thrilled to introduce the community to the newest members of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office K9 team: Huntah and Duke. Huntah (think Hunter but with a Massachusetts accent) is a 7-month-old female black lab who will be partnered up with Capt. Paul Douglas. Duke is also 7 months old but is a male lab/retriever mix who will be the partner of the newest officer to join the unit, K9 Officer Theodore Santos.

Huntah and Duke are half-siblings born two weeks apart who have the same father. Big thanks to Dr. David and Jane Askew of Dartmouth, who are big supporters of our K9 program and donated the funds to brings Huntah and Duke to Bristol County.

We have some exciting news to share about Huntah and Duke in the weeks ahead.

Good luck to our new K9 teams as they begin training next week.”-Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.

All photos by the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office:

UMass Dartmouth Professor Bridget A. Teboh (History) has been awarded a 2020-2021 fellowship by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP). The fellowship will enable her to travel to Nigeria to work with Benue State University Makurdi (BSUM) and Professor Msugh Moses KEMBE (Vice-Chancellor) on Curriculum Co-development, Graduate Students Teaching/Mentoring, and Collaborative Research, thereby transforming Africa’s “Brain Drain” into “Brain Circulation,” one of the Core goals of Carnegie ADFP. This is the third time Teboh has been awarded the prestigious fellowship.

“I am humbled to be a part of this innovative collaboration, funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in collaboration with United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in Nairobi, Kenya, which coordinates the activities of the Advisory Council,” said Teboh.

As a Carnegie Fellow, Teboh will spend 82 days during the summer of 2021 to strengthen the existing curriculum and co-develop new courses for the BSUM History Department as well as facilitate the creation of a Diasporan and Heritage Studies Center which will mentor both students and faculty members, foster academic collaboration‚ and organization of capacity building workshops, thereby inserting the Diasporan and Heritage Studies discipline in the Benue State University- Makurdi curricular offerings.

“For both UMassD and BSUM, this collaborative project represents a new and exciting formal partnership—and our students stand to benefit from it, for, the initiative will pave the way for my continued collaboration with African Institutions,” said Teboh. “I hope that this initiative will concretize and increase meaningful Study Abroad/Student Exchange Programs with African universities.”

The Diasporan and Heritage Studies is an expanding academic field dealing with dispersed ethnic populations, regarded as diaspora peoples. It connotes the idea of a forced or (in)voluntary settlement due to coercion, expulsion, slavery, racism, war, or ethnic conflicts. This is linked up with heritage studies that will help to establish the cultural roots of the persons/groups so studied. Teboh’s expertise in African History, Black/Diasporan Studies, Gender Studies, oral history, Interdisciplinary Methodology, and Historical Research will be critical to the setting up of the Diasporan/Heritage Studies at BSUM and help students undertake field trips to heritage sites.

Teboh is one of 74 African Diaspora Scholars who have been awarded fellowships as part of a broader initiative that pairs them with 43 higher education institutions and collaborators in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda to work together on curriculum co-development, research, graduate teaching, training, and mentoring activities in the coming months. The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program, now in its eighth year, is designed to reverse Africa’s brain drain, strengthen capacity at the host institutions, and develop long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations between universities in Africa and the United States and Canada. A total of 527 African Diaspora Fellowships have now been awarded for scholars to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013. Engagements in educational projects exemplify Carnegie Corporation New York’s commitment to higher education in Africa. See the full list of newly selected projects, hosts, and scholars.

Professor Bridget A. Teboh to use fellowship to travel to Nigeria to transform Africa’s “Brain Drain” into “Brain Circulation.”

UPDATE: After being missing for 2 weeks, this story had a positive ending. “THANK U EVERYONE MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN FOUND!”-David Thompson.

Thanks to all who helped spread the word by liking, sharing, and commenting.

“Facebook I need your help! My daughter Trinity Thompson is 13 years old and she is missing!

She was last seen at her house in New Bedford on April 30 and we can not find her anywhere. Please, if anyone knows about her whereabouts please contact me I am beyond worried. New Bedford Police are searching and there have been no leads yet.

Please anyone who has any sightings of her please let me know.”-David Thompson.

David Thompson photo.

“At approximately 6:45 p.m., south end units responded to Richdale Foods on Brock Ave. in regards to a shooting incident.

One gunshot victim was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

NBPD Detectives are at the scene and the investigation is ongoing. Please avoid the area.”

The New Bedford Board of Election Commissioners has announced that nomination papers to run for local municipal office in the November 2021 municipal election will be available beginning on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Nomination papers may be obtained from the Election Commission Office in New Bedford City Hall, 133 William Street, Room 114. Under current office hours due to COVID-19, the Election Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm.

Nomination papers are available for the following offices: Assessor-at-Large, School Committee, Councillors-at-Large, and Ward Councillors.

Before issuance of nomination papers, a candidate must sign a statement containing his or her name, address, and the office for which he or she intends to be a candidate. Anyone other than a candidate must present a signed authorization in order to secure papers on behalf of a candidate.

Candidates must obtain 50 certified signatures in order to be eligible to appear on the Preliminary Municipal Election ballot, which New Bedford voters will consider on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The final day and hour to submit nomination papers to the Board of Election Commissioners for certification of signatures is August 10, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. Nomination papers must be filed with the Board of Election Commissioners by 5:00 p.m.

The Preliminary Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The Final Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

New Bedford residents 65 and over who receive their COVID-19 vaccination at specified clinic sites in the city will receive a $20 Dunkin’ gift card with their first dose beginning Wednesday, May 19, Mayor Jon Mitchell announced Friday.

While most of New Bedford’s seniors are vaccinated, the average vaccination rate for those 65 and up is lower than the state average. Dunkin’ gift cards will now be offered to any New Bedford resident age 65 and over who receive their vaccines at the walk-up FEMA-run clinic at the Waterfront Vaccination Center on Hervey Tichon Avenue, or at the New Bedford Health Department-operated clinics – including Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, New Bedford Health Department mobile clinics, and homebound vaccination appointments run by the Health Department and EMS. Gift cards will be distributed on-site for first doses, beginning Wednesday, May 19.

The Waterfront Vaccination Center operated by FEMA runs weekly from Saturday through Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and no appointment is needed.

The Health Department will offer two walk-up clinics at Market Basket, 122 Sawyer Street, on Thursday, May 20 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Friday, May 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. No appointment is needed.

The Health Department also operates an appointment-based clinic at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, including next Wednesday, May 19; at-home vaccinations by appointment are also available to the homebound via New Bedford EMS. To sign up for these clinics, residents may call 508-984-2661.

The Dunkin’ gift cards are currently limited to New Bedford residents who are 65 years old and above, and will be provided at the clinics to residents receiving their first dose. The City will purchase the gift cards from New Bedford-based Dunkin’ franchise owners.

“Although we continue to learn more about COVID-19 all the time, there is no doubt that seniors are at far greater risk of serious illness from the disease than younger adults,” said Mayor Mitchell. “If this modest incentive ends up saving lives by convincing more seniors to get vaccinated, it’ll have been worth every penny.”

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced $630,000 in grants to support Alternative Peer Group model programs for young people ages 13-17 who are in active recovery from opioid use, stimulant use, or other substances, or who have been identified as being at risk for such use.

Duffy Health Center in Barnstable and Railroad Street Youth Project in Great Barrington will be awarded the grants over the next year and a half to operate programs that will serve at least 30 individuals annually. The Alternative Peer Group model incorporates age appropriate and enjoyable social activities into support services to ensure that adolescents stay engaged in long-term recovery as needed.

“Substance use among adolescents can have alarming long-term impacts on their health and well-being so it is imperative that those in recovery are exposed to positive peer influence as well as support services,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “This award also ensures the continuity of these important services during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The model program encourages recovering teens to learn how to have as much fun as possible within healthy boundaries, rewards them for healthy choices, honesty, and integrity, and strongly encourages parents/guardians to attend their own recovery meetings and create their own program of accountability to support their teen.

“We need to work harder to support adolescents with their substance use disorder treatment and recovery,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. “These funds will offer a comprehensive model that combines positive social activities with evidence-based supports to keep teenagers with opioid and substance use disorder engaged in their recovery.”

“DPH and the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services are continuing to innovate in order to better protect and support Massachusetts youth,” said Deirdre Calvert, Director of DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. “We must build support for young people in recovery and those at risk for substance use and show them the enjoyment and fulfillment that can come from maintaining their sobriety and supporting their peers.”

Each organization will receive $52,500 in FY21, $210,000 in FY22, and $52,500 in FY23. The program is funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) State Opioid Response (SOR) grant.

At 10:15 p.m. Thursday Massachusetts State Troopers from the State Police-Newbury Barracks responded to a tractor-trailer rollover on the ramp from Route 95 South to Route 110 in Amesbury. The operator of the 2014 Freightliner, identified as Kenneth Green, a 70-year-old man from Searsport, Maine, was determined to be deceased at the scene.

Preliminary investigation suggests that excessive speed was a factor in the crash. No other vehicles were involved.

The crash investigation is being conducted by Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Amesbury Police, the Amesbury and Newburyport Fire Departments, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Bristol Community College is proud to announce that Premium Schools (premiumschools.org), a primary source of information for quality degree programs, has ranked Bristol the best online community college in Massachusetts on its 2021 list of The Best Online Community College in Every State in the U.S.

The ranking highlighted Bristol’s wide variety of online degree programs and certifications, flexible weekend and evening college options and student support services, including academic and career counseling.

Based on its ranking methodology to produce the list, Premium Schools looked at all community colleges offering online degrees across the country and made their comparison based on specific criteria, including affordability, the use of innovative technology and instruction by experienced professionals. For more information about Premium Schools ranking methodology, please visit https://www.premiumschools.org/methodology/.

Premium Schools aims to provide students with the most up-to-date information and opportunities to access their educational and career options. For more information about Premium Schools, please visit https://www.premiumschools.org/.

For the complete listing of The Best Online Community College in Every State for 2021, including Bristol Community College, please visit https://www.premiumschools.org/the-best-online-community-colleges-in-every-state/.

For more information about Bristol Community College, please visit www.bristolcc.edu.

Chris Lisinski
State House News Service

Retail cannabis stores in Massachusetts should become able to purchase and then sell consumer-ready hemp products within “the next few weeks” after the Cannabis Control Commission approved new guidance Thursday.

In the state’s fiscal year 2021 budget that Gov. Charlie Baker signed in December, the Legislature authorized CCC licensees to access hemp-derived products. Commissioners voted 4-0 at a Thursday meeting to approve guidelines for how hemp products should be handled in retail marijuana stores.

“This guidance document is in many ways a statement specifically to our retailers, which indicates if you’d like to wholesale in and then sell to consumers consumer-ready hemp products, this is the way you may go about it,” CCC Executive Director Shawn Collins said during the meeting.

Products such as hemp seed, hemp seed oil, clothes and other materials made from hemp fiber will be eligible under the guidance, according to the state Department of Agricultural Resources, which regulates the hemp crop. Hemp food products containing CBD or non-food products containing CBD that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not be allowed, according to MDAR. The CCC’s guidance instructs marijuana retailers to include an insert or notification in any hemp products noting that they were not manufactured under the commission’s regulatory scheme for the state’s marijuana industry.

CCC Chairman Steven Hoffman said after Thursday’s meeting that he does not have an exact date when sales will begin, but expects it to be in a matter of weeks. “The memo is, for the most part, done,” he said. “There will be some minor changes that the executive director asked for our authority and we gave it to him, but those are very minor changes. The work here is done and it should be within a couple of weeks.”