Award winners Kathy Cateon, LPN; Judy LaChance, RN; and Kathy McKenna, RN.

Southcoast® Health recently presented the Singular Distinction Award to three employees who helped to save a local man’s life at a community event in Fall River this past summer. Kathy Cateon, LPN, Judy LaChance, RN, and Kathy McKenna, RN, were part of a small group that performed life-saving CPR on a 50-year-old man suffering from cardiac arrest.

Cateon (Swansea, Mass.), LaChance (Dighton, Mass.) and McKenna (Freetown, Mass.) were participating in the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Bishop Connolly High School on June 26 when they encountered a man slumped over in the parking area. Along with at least two others, including a Fall River police officer, the trio performed CPR until paramedics arrived to transport the man to Charlton Memorial Hospital.

The Singular Distinction Award recognizes Southcoast Health employees who, in a specific spontaneous act, deliver more than medicine. It also celebrates employees who provide an action that demonstrates kindness, compassion and caring to our patients, visitors and fellow colleagues.

The PACE Child Care Works (CCW) Program has received an Award from the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts-Polaroid Fund in the amount of $14,000.

The money will be used for ABE (Adult Basic Education) Classes for Spanish Speakers. Fifteen parents from the Hayden McFadden Elementary School will attend the ABE Classes. Transportation and child care will be provided to the parents if needed.

The Goal of this Award is for parents to be able to communicate (read and write) with school personnel. It is hoped that the parents will gain confidence and a desire to continue with education or to begin a job training program. The parents’ participation in classes should have a positive effect on their child’s attitude toward school which can lead to better attendance. This project will build relationships among parents and school personnel and increase parent involvement while strengthening their parenting skills. This project is in collaboration with the

New Bedford Public Schools and the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Program of PACE Child Care Works and ends in June 2016.

Last night at approximately 6:30pm south end officers were sent to the 100 Block of Pleasant St. after a neighbor reported hearing shots fired inside a third floor apartment. Upon arrival, officers followed a blood trail from the driveway area up to the third floor apartment and upon knocking, received no answer.

Officers then forced their way into the home and found more blood and a couple of spent shell casings. No one was found inside.

Shortly thereafter, police received a call from Tobey Hospital security in Wareham stating they had a gunshot victim who claimed to have been shot in New Bedford but did not know where. (He had given them conflicting statements)

The 29 year old male victim, with addresses in Wareham and Boston was later transported to Rhode Island Hospital with non life threatening injuries. He suffered a gunshot wound that went through his right leg and into his left leg. He also suffered a second gunshot wound to the left hand.

After being interviewed by New Bedford detectives, he continued to give conflicting statements regarding the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Paul Fonseca at 508-991-6300 ext. 79507 or leave an anonymous tip at 508-961-4584.

At 10 a.m. on on Monday, January 25, at Keith Middle School, officials from the New Bedford Educators Association will present a donation of more than $5,300 in coats, winter clothing, educational supplies and hygiene products to the students of New Bedford Public Schools. Several school district nurses shopped at local retailers for these items. School nurses, with the assistance of other staff members, identified students that would most benefit from these donations. The school nurses will be distributing these items to the families in the near future.

The New Bedford Educators Association received a grant from the Massachusetts Teachers Association for this generous donation. In addition, the NBEA received contributions from Mayor Jon Mitchell; City Councilors Henry Bousquet, Steven Martins and Kerry Winterson; State Representative William Straus; Dias, Lapalme & Martin LLP; Friendly Sons of St. Patrick; Peter Muise, CEO, First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union; School Committee Member Bruce Oliveira; and Superintendent Pia Durkin.

The Southcoast Wellness Van announces its February schedule for community screenings and vaccinations.

The Southcoast Wellness Van upholds Southcoast Health’s mission to promote the optimal health and well-being of individuals in the communities it serves. Southcoast Health focuses its attention on increasing access to services and caring for the entire population through wellness initiatives and disease management that are designed to limit — and preferably prevent — the patient’s need for acute care.

The Southcoast Wellness Van travels across the region bringing health screenings into the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts. Free mobile health services available by the staff include:

• Cancer screenings and education.
• Blood pressure screening.
• Cholesterol screening
• Teen resource information
• Glucose (diabetes) screenings.
• Nutritional information and education.
• Health education services.
• Medical physician referral.
• Vaccinations.

Please note that screenings sponsored by the Southcoast Wellness Van are sometimes held at community locations and not always on the van. Look for signs when arriving at a location if you do not see the van outside.

For more information and to schedule free screenings, please call Susan Oliveira, RN, at 508-973-8740 or email oliveiras@southcoast.org. You can also check the schedule online at www.southcoast.org/van/ or subscribe to daily notices on Twitter, Facebook and RSS feeds.

NEW BEDFORD
Thursday, February 4
Roosevelt Middle School
121 Cleveland St., New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Friday, February 5
Caroline Apartments
26 Caroline St., New Bedford
Health Screenings
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Sunday, February 7
Boys And Girls Club of New Bedford
166 Jenny Street, New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Tuesday, February 9
Bay Village/ Boa Vista Housing
134 South Second St., New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Wednesday, February 10
Ben Rose Gardens
679 Delano Street, New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH
Friday, February 12
Walmart
506 State Rd., North Dartmouth
Health Screenings & Vaccines
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Tuesday, February 16
Brickenwood
Harvard St, New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ONSET
Wednesday, February 17
Onset Foursquare Church
301 Onset Ave., Onset
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Thursday, February 18
Stop & Shop
1001 Kings Highway, New Bedford
Health Screenings & Vaccines
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Friday, February 19
Tripp Towers
12 Ruth Street, New Bedford
Health Screenings
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WAREHAM
Tuesday, February 23
Wareham Walmart
15 Tobey Road, Wareham
Health Screenings & Vaccines
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD
Thursday, February 25
Presidential Heights
Community Room Filmore Street, New Bedford
Health Screenings & Teen Program
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FALL RIVER
Monday, February 29
CVS
550 Pleasant St., Fall River
Health Screenings & Vaccines
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Yesterday, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Troopers assigned to the State Police Troop B CAT Team were on patrol in Pittsfield on South Street when they observed a blue Honda sedan traveling northbound with a defective brake light. The Troopers subsequently stopped the vehicle after it took a quick left turn and accelerated away from them for several hundred yards.

The Troopers determined that the operator was the registered owner, JOSEPH WALKER, 42, of Pittsfield. Also in the vehicle were DERRICK LAFOREST, 33, of Pittsfield and a JUVENILE female, both in the back seat. Further investigation led to the discovery of approximately 10 packets on WALKER and 500 packets inside the vehicle of a substance believed to be heroin. LAFOREST was also in possession of $1640 in cash. The street value of the suspected heroin was $20,200.

WALKER, LAFOREST and the JUVENILE were placed under arrest and transported to the Cheshire Barracks for booking. At the Barracks LAFOREST repeatedly threatened the booking Trooper. They were held on bail, $100,000 for LAFOREST, $50,000 for WALKER and $5,000 for JUVENILE. LAFOREST and WALKER were transported to the Berkshire House of Correction, and JUVENILE was transported to the alternative lockup program in Springfield pending their arraignment.

LAFOREST was charged with the following offenses:
1. Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance (Heroin)
2. Trafficking in Heroin
3. Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law
4. Witness Intimidation

WALKER was charged with the following offenses:
1. Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance (Heroin), subsequent offense
2. Trafficking in Heroin
3. Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law
4. Brake Light Violation

JUVENILE was charged with the following offenses:
1. Trafficking in Heroin
2. Conspiracy to Violate Drug Laws

No further information is currently available. Please do not call the barracks directly for media inquiries.

The Dartmouth Indians visited New Bedford High last night for the second meeting of the season. Both teams started with high energy, but the Whalers had the first quarter lead 17-11. Dartmouth was able to turn things around in the second quarter outscoring New Bedford 24-11 giving them a 7 point lead going into the half.

New Bedford came back out invigorated and outscored Dartmouth 20-11 in the third quarter putting the score at 48-46. Both teams played tight defense in the fourth quarter, Dartmouth outscored New Bedford 11-9, ending in a tie at 57-57.

Dartmouth’s defense kept New Bedford’s offense at bay in over time, now allowing them to score until the period was half over. Dartmouth got the win with a final score of 68-66.

Photos by Josh Souza/ New Bedford Guide. Want to see more action photos? Click here.

As four-year graduation rate remains steady, five-year graduation rate increases, annual dropout rate at new low of 2.9%. New Bedford has 61-percent reduction in dropout rate since 2009-10, state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education highlights in their statement.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) today released its annual data on graduation and dropout rates across the state. As New Bedford High School continues its turnaround plan, the dropout rate has continued to decrease, the five-year graduation rate has increased, and the four-year graduation rate has remained steady since the beginning of the turnaround with a slight decrease of 0.6 percentage points.

New Bedford noticed a sharp decline in dropouts over the past five years, highlighted by DESE in their press statement, from 237 students who dropped out in 2010 to 91 who dropped out in 2015, as New Bedford continues to strive to ensure every student graduates.

The five-year graduation rate at New Bedford High School – 67.7 percent – is now the highest recorded since the DESE recorded beginning in 2007.

The annual dropout rate at NBHS decreased to 2.9 percent in 2015, down from 3.5 percent in 2014; it was at 4.2 percent in 2013 and 5.3 percent in 2012.

The four-year dropout rate remained approximately steady at an increase of just 0.6 percentage point to 14.5 percent – down by about one third from 2013, at 21.2 percent.

Some of the outcomes for New Bedford High include:

• A decrease of 146 fewer dropouts since 2009-10, with 91 students dropping out in 2015 compared to 237 students dropping out in 2010.
• The four-year dropout rate has decreased by about 7 percentage points at NBHS – from 21.2 percent in 2013 to 13.9 percent in 2014 and steady at 14.5 percent in 2015.
• The annual dropout rate decreased to 2.9 percent in 2015, down from 3.4 percent in 2014, 4.2 percent in 2013 and a high of 7.4 percent in 2008 and 2009.
• The five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (students who have attended NBHS since freshman year and graduated from NBHS) increased from 68.7 percent in 2014 to 70.3 percent in 2015, the first time since 2006 that it has reached above 70 percent. In 2010, the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate was 61.4 percent.
• The four-year graduation rate is about 10 percentage points higher than it was just five years ago in 2010.

Superintendent Pia Durkin said New Bedford High School educators continue to provide support for all students and that the positive shift in the five-year graduation rate is significant.

“Every student at New Bedford High matters, and that belief drives our educators every day,” said Superintendent Durkin. “The increased five-year graduation rate underscores our commitment to ensuring that students are given the supports they need in order to graduate and leave our high school prepared for college and career. It is a direct result of the work of educators connecting to our students and working with them on a fixed plan to keep them on track to graduate. New Bedford High School must continue to improve and for the second year in a row, the school has demonstrated improvement and a commitment to excellence for every student, reflected in the number of students who showed the persistence to graduate in 2015.”

Mayor Jon Mitchell said, “Improved graduation rates are a key goal of reforming our school system. New Bedford Public Schools continue to improve and the reform effort is providing more opportunities for our children to succeed after high school.”

Headmaster Bernadette Coelho said, “It is a testament to the work that continues at New Bedford High School to ensure that every single student graduates and that we do everything necessary to prepare every NBHS student for graduation. I commend the hard work of our students and our staff, particularly those students who are taking advantage of multiple pathways that may extend their time at New Bedford High School but ensure they are ready for success.”

Meet Crystal Lister, a 31 year-old Medical Lab Technician, body coach, and cook. Crystal works for the Greater New Bedford Health Center. When she isn’t in the lab, her and her husband are the owners of Heathy Bites Meal Preps, which means she is constantly researching healthy meals and creatively helping others live cleaner, heathier lives.

Now she hadn’t always been such a health enthusiast. Attending Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech she was in the Culinary Arts program and always enjoyed cooking growing up. Crystal never really managed how she ate and once she had her two kids, she had even less time to devote to developing a healthy way of living. It got to the point where she felt miserable and blamed everyone around her for her unhealthy lifestyle.

It was at this point she realized that for the sake of her health and the future of her children, she needed to make a change in her life. After working with a trainer who was passionate about fitness and inspiring others, she fell in love with the idea of living a healthy life. After learning how to prep her meals and working out consistently, Crystal dropped down over 45 pounds and found herself at a weight that she really felt comfortable with.

This gave her the desire to develop and assist in the same growth in others. Explaining that diet was one of the most important parts of leading a healthier lifestyle and that her clients needed to prep their meals, she found that more than not they would just ask her to prep for them. This got her thinking and not to long afterwards she opened up her own business, prepping meals for those who want to eat healthy but don’t have the time to portion and prep for themselves.

Her desire to help others goes beyond the notion of attaining the “perfect body.” Working in the medical field, she realizes how unhealthy people are. As more people are being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, she wants to raise the awareness that these aren’t death sentences. With the correct diet people can actively fight these diseases and live longer, happier lives.

“It is so much more than losing weight, it’s more about finding yourself and loving the person that you are.”

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

A 24-year-old New Bedford man was arrested this evening in connection to the ongoing investigation into the December 31 homicide of Aaron Gant Jr. in New Bedford.

Angel Acevedo is being charged with accessory to murder-after the fact. He was arrested at the New Bedford Police Department earlier this evening. Mr. Acevedo will be formally arraigned on the charge tomorrow morning in New Bedford District Court. The arraignment will be handled by Deputy Chief of District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn’s Homicide Unit, Katie Rayburn, who has been coordinating the investigation into the homicide.

State Police Detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and New Bedford Police are continuing to actively investigate the homicide, and no further information regarding the status of the probe can be released at this time.

Mr. Acevedo is the fifth individual to be charged in connection to this case. Chad Santos, 25; Kathleen Rivera, 24; Aaron Bookman, 22, and Lorena Rivera, 21, all of New Bedford, were each charged with the obstruction of justice portion of the state’s witness intimidation statute earlier this month.