UPDATED at 5:58pm, Saturday:

“I found him and his cat. They are safe and at home. I want to thank you ? all and the community. It is heartwarming how many people I met that had seen the post and were supportive and very helpful to me. The world is a good place, with good people. It is not as it appears, and proof is in the pudding.

God bless you and all the supporters. I am forever indebted to you all. He is everything to me and I can finally get some rest tonight because I have been awake since he left.”

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“MISSING PERSON:

My son left Earle Street near Church St. around 3:30pm Thursday carrying his calico cat and upset. He has been missing since then. He just turned 18 on 10/12, is 5″8′ and weighs 150 lbs.

He was seen walking on Church Street towards the donut shop at 5:pm yesterday. I will add a video of him leaving showing what he was wearing. And holding the cat. I also will send 2 pictures a recent one with a beard, but he shaved it off a couple of weeks ago, and another older picture without the beard as he is now.

The police told me to send this info to this page. Thank you. My number is 802-417-4999.”-Gordon Goes.

Gordon Goes photo.

Gordon Goes photo.

“Our staff relocated a female moose from the backyard of the Overhead Door Company in downtown Ludlow. Although moose sightings aren’t usually cause for alarm or intervention, this moose wasn’t able to leave the area on her own.

Our biologists determined the safest plan was to immobilize and relocate the moose to a forested area nearby with the assistance of the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

Thank you to the Overhead Door Company of Pioneer Valley, Ludlow Police Department, MA, and Ludlow Fire Department for your cooperation in safely relocating this moose!

Learn more about the Large Animal Response Team at bit.ly/mass-lart.”-Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife photo.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife photo.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife photo.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife photo.

“There are many options for giving your Halloween pumpkins second lives while keeping them out of the landfill. Set them out with the City of New Bedford’s curbside yard waste pickup. Or drop them off with yard waste at the Recycling Center or place them in your backyard compost bin.

Set Out for Weekly Yard Waste Pickup

Capitol Waste Services will collect unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks along with grass, leaves, and twigs on your yard waste collection day. Yard waste is collected on the weekday after trash and recycling collection. If your trash and recycling are collected on Fridays, your yard waste is collected on Mondays. Even if you do not have other yard waste, place pumpkins and cornstalks in a paper yard waste bag or loose in a barrel (not a city cart) and set it at the curb by 7 a.m. Please do not make bags or barrels too heavy. Yard waste collection ends the week of December 11th this year.

The yard waste from New Bedford residents is delivered to the Crapo Hill Landfill where it is composted. If you made a jack-o’-lantern, remove all lights and other items before placing the pumpkin out for yard waste collection. Please remove any twine, rope, wire, or decorations from cornstalks. This will ensure the finished compost doesn’t have any unwanted items that will not easily breakdown into nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Drop Off at Recycling Center

Unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks can be dropped off at the Recycling Center at 1103 Shawmut Avenue. Place them with the yard waste at the Recycling Center. The Recycling Center hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please follow the instructions above for preparing pumpkins and cornstalks for drop off.

Compost in Backyard Bin

Unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks can be placed in your backyard compost bin along with fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass, leaves, and twigs.

New Bedford residents may purchase compost bins at the Crapo Hill Landfill Scale House, 300 Samuel Barnet Blvd., New Bedford, Monday – Friday 7:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. The Earth Machine and the New Age Composter are both available at a cost of $25 each. Cash, check, or money order only. No credit or debit cards.

Contact the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District by email at Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org or by phone at (508) 979-1493 about composting, recycling, or waste reduction.

Call Capitol Waste Services at (617) 569-1718 regarding curbside collection of yard waste, trash, and recycling.”

UPDATED Tuesday @ 7:50am: Robert is now home safe and sound. Thank you to all who helped spread the word to get him home by liking, sharing, or commenting.
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“Around this time last year my brother Robert went missing with a female that he met online from South Carolina. My mom got guardianship over him, yes he is 21 years old and special needs. He was deemed incompetent by a court appointed professional.

Not many people understand what that is but it’s a real thing. Please don’t hate on something you don’t understand. There was a restraining order put into place so the girl could bo longer contact Robert. She violated it anyway, multiple times.

Fast forward a couple of months, we thought it was over. Here we are a year later and apparently we were wrong. We have court tomorrow for the violation of the restraining order. Same girl is back from out of state, staying at the same hotel she did the first time. And yet again my brother is missing. No meds, no clothes, no money, and his phone is turned off.

If anyone has ever spent any amount of time with Robert you would know his electronics are his life. So for it to be off is unusual. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she came back and he is missing again.

The Dartmouth Police Dept. is involved and actively investigating. They have already spoken with her to no avail. I could posts my speculations on the multiple theories I have but that will unfortunate not help. Hoping the community could help by just keeping an eye out.

We are very concerned as my brother does not have any instincts of being in danger or when someone is taking advantage of him. He is autistic amongst other diagnosis and he does not function at a 21 year olds level. That’s why he was deemed incompetent by the court.

If anyone has seen him anywhere please, please, please, reach out.”-Becca Tinkham.

Becca Tinkham photo.

“The New Bedford Fire Department sends its love and support to the Guillemette family following the passing of their son, Porter. Here’s a message from Fire Chief Scott Kruger & Deputy Fire Chief Brian Medeiros.

In January of this year, we were all made aware that Porter, son of Firefighter Taylor Guillemette and his wife Danielle, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Only a very small number of children who suffer from this form of cancer live longer than a year after diagnosis.

Since Porter’s diagnosis, members of the New Bedford Fire Department, family, friends, many other public safety agencies, the business community, elected officials, and complete strangers rallied around Porter, Taylor, and Danielle. There were numerous fundraisers, family events of all kinds, people assisting the Guillemette’s with any of their needs, and members of the Fire Department assisting Taylor with making sure he was able to attend all of Porter’s countless appointments.

Guillemette family photo.

Unfortunately, Porter passed away in the early hours of October 18th. Porter bravely fought an evil disease that serves no master and has taken far too many of our loved ones. He left this earth with his mother and father by his side. Nothing any of us can say will fill the void left by Porter and what he meant to many of us. His brave fight brought out the best in us and reminded us not to take anything for granted. We must continue to support Taylor and Danielle, not just now, but in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Deputy Fire Chief Brian Medeiros and I are proud of the men and women of the New Bedford Fire Department. When you were needed, you showed up in force and made us all proud. The fire service is founded upon a brotherhood and sisterhood where we are not only are each other’s keepers, but also that of each other’s family members.

While Deputy Chief Medeiros and I are proud of our members, we are all proud of Taylor and Danielle for giving their son the energy and strength to keep fighting as long as could. We are all not only Porter-G Strong, but also Taylor & Danielle-G Strong.”-New Bedford Fire Department.

“Volunteers needed for an all important cleanup of Historic Palmer Island in New Bedford.

Operation clean Sweep is scheduling (for the 3rd time) an environmental cleanup at Palmer Island in New Bedford. Volunteers are needed on Saturday October 28th from 12-4 with our headquarters located at the bottom of Gifford street.

We hope you can help make a positive difference on Palmer Island!

• FREE Pizza provided by Domino’s!
• FREE Coffee and Donuts provided by BASK.
• FREE TEE SHIRTS while supplies last

Operation Clean Sweep photo.

“The City of New Bedford is offering new programs to help businesses reduce their waste. In one program, businesses will be recognized for recycling properly. In another program, restaurants can take further steps to reduce waste by moving from disposable food service ware to reusable options.

“These new programs will encourage businesses to do their part to reduce waste and help the City move toward the waste reduction goals in NB Resilient, the City’s climate action and resiliency plan,” said Jennifer Vieira, Director of Facilities & Fleet Management.

ReThink Disposable

The City is partnering with Clean Water Fund’s ReThink Disposable program to encourage restaurants to reduce their use of single use food service ware for onsite dining such as utensils, plates, cups, and sauce cups. ReThink Disposable is offering a stipend to restaurants that switch to reusable items. Their staff will visit restaurants in New Bedford in the coming months.

The one-time stipend that is offered to restaurants is $300. For any restaurant with a minority, LGBTQ+, or woman owner, the stipend increases to $600. According to ReThink Disposable, restaurants that make the switch see annual savings usually between $3,000-$20,000.

“It is important for us all to do our part in waste reduction for future generations and this program can help local businesses take this step. Reusables are safe to use as long as restaurants follow standard health and safety guidelines,” said Stephanie Sloan, Director of the Health Department.

Our Business Recycles

Does your business recycle everything it can? Earn an “Our Business Recycles!” window cling to show customers you are doing your part to reduce waste.

To earn the window cling, each business must meet the following requirements:

• Be a business located in New Bedford.
• Have recycling containers with fewer than 3 contaminants. Contaminants include all items other than bottles, cans, jugs, jars, paper, and cardboard, as listed on this flyer: https://s3.amazonaws.com/newbedford-ma/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/20200810091738/TrilingualFlyer_2020-Final-Final.pdf
• Have waste baskets with fewer than 3 recyclable items.
• Have a way to recycle cardboard. This could be by participating in the City’s business cardboard collection program, having a properly used cardboard dumpster, or by being able to fit the cardboard in your recycling cart(s).

In October and November, staff from the City of New Bedford and the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District will partner with students from UMass Dartmouth to visit businesses, starting with downtown. Though, you don’t need to wait for our visit. If you think your business deserves recognition, contact us and we will visit to verify the requirements are met. You may be featured on New Bedford Recycling’s social media pages with your window cling.

Elissa Paquette, President, dNB Inc. said, “dNB Inc. is excited about the recycling incentives that the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District and the City are offering businesses, as we look forward to keeping downtown environmentally conscious!”

If your business is not currently eligible, you can:

• Increase recycling – Arrange private collection through your hauler or participate in the City’s program to recycle bottles, cans, jugs, jars, paper, and cardboard.
• Ensure cardboard gets recycled – Arrange private collection through your hauler or participate in the City’s program. Small to medium size New Bedford businesses can join the City’s cardboard recycling program for free.

If you have questions, please email Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org or call (508) 979-1493. For additional information, visit New Bedford Recycling on Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor, or follow @NBRecycling on Twitter.”

If you live in the New Bedford area you might have recently seen protesters with signs reading “Free Karen Read” on the corner of Route 6 and Highway 140. In recent weeks there have been a few organized protests setup by this group on that busy intersection.

They are protesting to free Karen Read, 42, of Mansfield, who was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. She is accused of hitting Boston Police Officer, John O’Keefe with her vehicle outside of a friend’s house in Canton after a night of drinking on Jan. 29, 2022.

Independent Journalist, Aiden Kearney, more famously known as “Turtleboy” has brought a ton of attention on this case claiming that Karen Read is innocent and being set up. His relentless work on this case has spread word across Massachusetts and the entire United States.

Since this case is rapidly gaining popularity, we decided to show up to the recent protest in New Bedford and interview the protesters, watch below!

“Do you have a phone that you’re not using? Did you know that those who are struggling with domestic violence often have phones that are being controlled by their abuser?

The phone you donate might be the lifeline that someone needs to place a much-needed call for help.This month, the NBPD is partnering up with the “Women’s Center” to get emergency phones into the hands of people who need them.

If you have one that you can donate, please bring it by police headquarters on Rockdale Ave. Thank you!!”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

“New Bedford, MA – In an effort to preserve one of New Bedford’s most historically significant buildings, the City of New Bedford has acquired the New Bedford Armory from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Armory, located at 5 Sycamore Street, was built in 1904 for the Massachusetts Army National Guard and is the centerpiece of one of New Bedford’s National Register Historic Districts. Consisting of a Headhouse, Drill Hall, garage, and operations maintenance shop which was constructed in 1935, for decades the Armory served as a training, meeting, and storage facility for the Guard.

Following its closure as a military facility in 2004, the Armory was under the care and control of the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), which handles capital planning, public building construction, facilities management, and real estate services for the Commonwealth. The facility remained vacant and boarded up for over a decade and was damaged by a fire in March 2009. In an effort to return the building to productive use,

DCAMM sought private development through a Request for Proposals (RFP), which did not yield viable options for the facility. The Mitchell Administration approached DCAMM in 2016 to explore an arrangement in which the City could take ownership of the building. The City and DCAMM ultimately negotiated a Purchase and Sale Agreement in which the state would complete necessary structural repairs to the building before transferring it to the City for a purchase price of $10. In April 2022, the City Council unanimously approved the Purchase and Sale Agreement.

Ahead of transferring the Armory to the City, the Commonwealth recently completed repairs to the facility including roof repair and structural stabilization, for $3.8 million.

In February of 2022, Mayor Mitchell submitted a purchase and sale agreement between the City and the Commonwealth to the City Council, concluding the only realistic chance to save this historic treasure was to get it in the hands of a responsible private developer with the wherewithal to devise a viable rehabilitation and reuse plan. But before that strategy was viable, the building’s physical condition needed to be returned to a base suitable for potential redevelopment, hence the repairs undertaken by the Commonwealth.

Mayor Mitchell noted the City’s Armory building is one of the most significant and endangered historic buildings in New Bedford, having suffered decades of decay since it was declared surplus property in 2004. “Its significance derives not only from its architectural interest but also from its role in supporting reserve units comprised of New Bedford residents who served – and in some cases died – in every American War since World War I.”

The Mayor praised DCAMM’s departing Commissioner, Carol Gladstone, for her advocacy on behalf of this historic building, and for DCAMM’s commitment to completing necessary repairs. “I’m proud that we have been able to save it,” said Mayor Mitchell.

“DCAMM is pleased to partner with the City in this collaboration to preserve and restore this significant community landmark,” said DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke. “We are proud when we have the opportunity to facilitate the adaptive reuse of historic resources across the Commonwealth and look forward to a successful redevelopment project in a core Gateway City.”

“It’s always great news when we can save and protect a historical building. As we all know, the New Bedford Armory is such a building, and I’m happy to hear that the City of New Bedford was able to purchase it from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $10,” said Ward 2 City Councilor Maria Giesta. “As Chair of the City Property Committee, I will be working closely with Mayor Mitchell, his staff, and my colleagues on the Committee to solicit proposals from developers to redevelop the area of the Armory.”

In the coming months, Mayor Mitchell, working with the City Council Property Committee, will solicit proposals to redevelop the site.”