“The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing was once again a valuable asset to public safety as it helped locate two missing children.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, yesterday afternoon, Massachusetts State Police Air Wing helicopter Air 4, crewed by Troopers John Pina and Justin Grigg, responded to Dedham to assist local police and MSP K9 teams in the search for two 14-year-old girls who had walked away from a care facility.

The search continued into the evening and at approximately 7:30 p.m., the MSP flight crew, utilizing Air 4’s Forward Looking Infrared Camera, observed two heat signatures in some nearby woods. The flight crew directed K9 teams and Dedham Officers to the girls’ location.

The Dedham Fire Department responded to evaluate the girls’ conditions and made the decision to transport them to a local hospital.

The State Police Air Wing is a valuable asset to public safety agencies across Massachusetts in missing persons searches and numerous other types of missions.” -Massachusetts State Police.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

“Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed more than $1.3 million to purchase new equipment for the Police Department and upgrade Fire Department facilities. The funds come from the Fiscal Year 2022 Free Cash certification, a state-certified use of a municipality’s remaining funds from operations of the previous fiscal year.

New Bedford’s Fiscal Year 2022 Free Cash totals more than $12.8 million and has been certified by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. The majority of that total will be placed in the City’s financial reserves, according to policies adopted by the City a few years ago.

The allocation requires City Council approval. In a package submitted to the Council, Mayor Mitchell allocates $400,000 to replace Police Department tablets, including all installation and training costs, along with $375,000 to purchase six front-line patrol vehicles.

Mayor Mitchell would commit $495,000 to complete work at Fire Station #2 on Pleasant Street. An additional $85,000 would be used to implement electrical upgrades at Fire Station #5 on Acushnet Avenue.

Additional allocations would include more than $9.3 million to replenish the City’s rainy-day fund, nearly $1.3 million for the reserve fund for retiree healthcare, $300,000 for a new street sweeper, and $100,000 for a comprehensive review of the City’s emergency plans.

“Our consistent commitment to maintaining our financial reserves has enabled the City to maintain its strong bond rating,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “The additional investments in public safety equipment and facilities will help our police officers and firefighters to do their jobs more effectively.”

“The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office is increasing officer training to make corrections more professional and modern.

In keeping with a campaign pledge, Sheriff Paul Heroux has extended the training academy for new corrections officers from eight weeks to nine weeks to add classes focused on de-escalation, dealing with mental illness, duty to intervene, and implicit bias.

“If corrections officers are trained in de-escalation, they will have the tools they need to do their jobs better,” Sheriff Heroux said. “How can we expect a CO to do a tough job if the CO doesn’t get the training they need to do their job?

“In the past, these topics were not taught to a level I was satisfied with,” Sheriff Heroux continued, “but now we’re making them a priority.”

The following classes will be added to the recruit training academy: Dealing with Mental Illness (3.5 hours), Duty to Intervene (4 hours), Implicit Bias (3.5 hours) and De-escalation (6-8 hours). Those topics will continue to be covered in other recruit classes, such as Communication Skills, Use of Force, Suicide Prevention, and Cultural Diversity, among others.

The changes will begin with the next recruit academy, which is scheduled to start Monday, April 24. Additionally, the BCSO will be adding training hours in defensive tactics, report writing, physical fitness, and suicide trauma awareness.

The BCSO will also be expanding de-escalation training during the required 40 hours of annual in-service training for current corrections officers.

Investing resources in officer training is nothing new for Sheriff Heroux, who tripled the police training budget from $50,000 to $150,000 during his time as Mayor of Attleboro.

“I tripled the police training budget during a time when people were calling to defund the police,” Sheriff Heroux said of the months after the George Floyd tragedy. “I decided to make investments in Attleboro police officers having the right training to do their jobs the best possible way. The same applies here at the Sheriff’s Office. This investment in training is really an investment in our communities as it will benefit our officers and the inmates.”’

“No rest for the weary! We are sounding the alarm for special adopters interested in taking home sugar gliders – exotic pets in the possum family. We took in 33 of these animals at Nevins Farm last week.

Sugar gliders are omnivores that need to eat a combination of insects, fruits, vegetables, nectar-based food, and commercial diet. We’re looking for adopters committed to maintaining this complex diet and the specialty care sugar gliders need.

They don’t like to be alone, so we’re looking for them to go home minimally in a pair or more. Interested in adopting? Inquire at mspca.org/nevinsadopt or visit us during open hours 12-3 Tuesday through Sunday!? Nevins Farm Adoption Center.”-MSPCA-Angell.

MSPCA-Angell photo.

MSPCA-Angell photo.

MSPCA-Angell photo.

MSPCA-Angell photo.

“I am pleased that the Mayor and his Administration are finally taking steps to address the growing housing crisis our City is facing. I firmly believe that the creation of housing units for all income levels, especially workforce style housing, should be a top priority for our City’s government.

I am excited to see that the City’s housing plan includes this as one of their six main areas of focus. Streamlining the permitting process, updating Zoning laws, and cutting through red tape are all areas that need improvement and seeing a commitment from the City to address this is reassuring. I believe that these steps are required in order to attract development in New Bedford.

I look forward to working with the Administration in accomplishing these goals outlined in the plan. I commit to improving the housing situation which is negatively impacting our community. As Chairman of the Committee on Ordinances, I will ensure proper hearings and meetings are held in a time sensitive manner to expedite zoning changes or City Ordinance changes.

I feel it is necessary to assure the residents and homeowners of our City that I will always be mindful of the harm that gentrification can cause. Development is always welcome in our City, but it must be done in a responsible way for all to benefit. Zoning laws were created to protect property owners from unexpected development that would cause harm to the fabric of the neighborhood. We must be mindful of this and take into account how neighbors feel about issues, and further, be willing to do extensive outreach.

I am, however, extremely disappointed to have had no prior knowledge that this plan was being created and not given a copy in advance to fully educate myself on this issue. In a meeting just five days prior with Mayor Mitchell, while discussing the rent stabilization issue, not one mention of a City housing plan was made nor was an invitation extended at that meeting to the press conference. Nevertheless, now is the time for renewed cooperation and good governance. This works both ways and I am committed to this as the housing issue is one of great importance to our City.

Let’s start building apartments and houses for our residents to call home, let’s start working together to build a better New Bedford, and let’s get relief to our residents who are dealing with this housing crisis.”

Massachusetts State Representative Steve Xiarhos has filed a bill that he calls “Dakota’s Law,” in honor of a K-9 who inspired a sanctuary for retired K-9s called the K-9 PTSD Center in Seekonk. K-9s can suffer from PTSD after experiencing trauma, just like people.

Dakota was a K9 that responded to the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013 after two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, which detonated 14 seconds and 210 yards (190 m) apart at 2:49 p.m., near the finish line of the race, killing three people and injuring hundreds of others, including 17 who lost limbs.

“HEALING DAKOTA

Amazing day visiting the only K9 PTSD Sanctuary in the Commonwealth designed to care for mentally and physically injured police and military dogs.

Heartfelt thanks to James LeMonte of Seekonk, who built the facility and cares for all the animals with true love and all at his own expense.

Please take a moment to send an email to your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to Co-Sponsor House Bill. 2424 aka Dakota’s Law which will create a revolving fund to care for these dedicated retired heroes upon their retirement from service.

Massachusetts House Bill 2424; Dakota’s Law

An Act establishing a fund for the care of retired police dogs. This bill would establish a new fund which, subject to annual state appropriation, would be used to pay for documented expenses for the care, support, and medical needs of retired police dogs.

GOD BLESS DAKOTA, KATO, AND DOGS THAT SERVE! ???????”-State Representative Steve Xiarhos.

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“It protected your boat all winter, now it’s time to protect the environment.

Clean white boat wrap is accepted through this drop-off program at the Dartmouth Transfer Station. Zippers and straps must be removed and discarded. Spray-painted wrap cannot be accepted.

“This boat wrap drop-off program enables this material to be collected in a designated container so that it can be recycled. Boat wrap cannot be placed in a curbside recycling cart. It would take up valuable space at the Crapo Hill landfill if discarded as garbage. We are working with the Waterways Commission and the Harbormaster to alert individual boaters of this win-win solution to the annual shrink wrap disposal problem and doing our best to keep it out of the waste stream,” said Tim Barber, Director of Public Works in the Town of Dartmouth.

Dartmouth residents may take boat wrap to the Dartmouth Transfer Station. A transfer station permit is required. There is a container for boat wrap only. The Dartmouth Transfer Station is open Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Dartmouth residents who would like to obtain a transfer station permit, or a day pass, may call the Dartmouth DPW at (508) 999-0740.

Remember, boat wrap is only recyclable through drop-off programs. Plastic bags and plastic wraps do not belong in recycling carts. That type of material wraps around equipment at sorting facilities causing sorting to grind to a halt while people work through the challenging task of removing plastic bags and wrap.

Boat wrap can also be reused several times if it is installed and removed with reuse in mind. Look for reuse information online or ask your boat shrink wrap installer about it.

For more information, contact the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org. For additional tips, visit Dartmouth Recycling on Facebook.”

Town of Dartmouth photo.

“Mayor Jon Mitchell announced today that the City of New Bedford has been awarded $2,092,585 in homeless assistance funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as part of a competitive grant process under HUD’s Continuum of Care Program.

HUD’s Continuum of Care grants provide critically needed support to local programs that serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The federal department recently announced a total of $2.8 billion in awards to renew and expand support to thousands of local homeless assistance programs across the nation.

New Bedford’s grant funds are awarded through a competitive national application process, with local application efforts led by the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The office coordinates the City’s comprehensive response to homelessness, using a Continuum of Care methodology and working with the City’s Homeless Service Provider Network (HSPN).

A Continuum of Care is a community’s plan or strategy to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are in a housing crisis and/or are experiencing homelessness, as they move toward stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency.  The strategy includes action steps to break the cycles of homelessness.

HUD grant funding supports a variety of interventions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in places not meant for habitation, staying in shelters, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Each year, HUD funding serves hundreds of people through a coordinated entry system, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and permanent housing programs.

“Every day the City and the HSPN work without fanfare to address the complex issue of homelessness. This new funding will enable that work to continue and will strengthen our efforts to stabilize the lives most vulnerable in our City,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “I wish to thank our Congressional delegation for their support of the program.”

“Funding received through these grants is essential for ensuring housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness,” said Joshua Amaral, Director of the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development. “This Continuum of Care application is competitive and requires a high degree of collaboration and coordination between our office and the HSPN throughout the year.”

The federal grant funding will support eight local programs, along with data and strategic planning efforts. Funds will be distributed to the following programs and agencies:

§ FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM (SEMCOA) $ 321,737
§ WELCOME HOME (Steppingstone) $ 218,837 
§ PORTICO (Catholic Social Services) $ 725,211
§ STEP UP (Positive Action Against Chemical Addition/PAACA) $ 316,917
§ PRISM (Catholic Social Services) $ 132,155
§ WELCOME HOME EXPANSION (Steppingstone) $ 89,978 
§ FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM EXPANSION (SEMCOA) $ 89,971
§ THE CALL COORDINATED ENTRY (Catholic Social Services) $ 50,000
§ HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (HMIS) $ 74,524
§ CoC PLANNING PROJECT $ 73,255

For more information about the City’s efforts to address homelessness, please contact the City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development at (508) 979-1500 or visit the HSPN’s website at www.nbhspn.com.”

UPDATE: 66-year-old Janet E. Roderiques was last seen walking near 70 State Road, Dartmouth (Dartmouth Manor) at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2023. Roderiques was found deceased at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford on Wednesday morning.

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Dartmouth Police Department photo.

“Diamonds in the rough! ? Or, feeling rough anyways!

After being found cold-stunned this winter, these diamond-backed terrapins are now doing much better with help from Wild Care Cape Cod!

Diamond-backed terrapins are a threatened species in Massachusetts due to vehicle and vessel strikes, loss of habitat, and off-road vehicles. They will be released back into the wild in May.”-Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

Learn more about the Diamond-backed terrapins in a PDF file from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife photo.