“I think it’s time I issue a warning to parents of kids in New Bedford. The small silver canister in the photo is Nitrous Oxide. I’ve noticed them appearing on the streets over the last few months more and more frequently.

People use them to get high. I know this as I’m from the UK and they had their issues with appearing everywhere on the streets years ago. You can read the story here.

If parents find these in their kid’s possession, it’s likely they aren’t using them for their intended purpose. Parents need to be warned of what these things are.

I’m seeing them constantly in the gutters which means they’re being dropped from cars, which means we’ve got people driving around under the influence of these things.

Thanks for reading. “-Jimmy Da Bosh.

“We are reaching out to you with heavy hearts as our dear friends, Tom and Becky, navigate a challenging chapter in their lives. Their beloved daughter, Genesis, at just five years old, is bravely battling leukemia at Boston Children’s Hospital. We were told by Genesis’ pediatrician to see a specialist at Boston Childrens Hospital on November 21st.

She will be in the hospital for months at minimum. Family resides in Fairhaven. Husband and wife of Genesis and also a little boy about 6 months old.

Jennifer Plouffe Farland photo.

Genesis had a week’s worth of fevers at home and multiple doctors visits to help with her cold. While at BCH she has had nightly fevers as high as 109, tons of testing, vitsts from all different teams of doctors for almost another week. They couldn’t figure it out. The Doctors finally had a bone marrow biopsy done on her. We anxiously waited nearly a week for the results. Soon after receiving the results we were told she has acute myeloid leukemia. After deciding her treatment, she started chemo the next day.

Our brave girl has stared her second induction of chemo last night. Due to her chemo and illness leaving her immune compromised, she is unable to leave the hospital until she is well again.

Jennifer Plouffe Farland photo.

If you’d like to help her on her journey the best things you could do is to donate blood. However if you know Genesis personally she’d love to hear from you. She loves receiving video messages, cards and drawing.

Genesis’s journey has been filled with strength and courage, but the financial burden of medical expenses has added an extra layer of stress to this already difficult time. As a community, let’s come together to support Tom and Becky in their quest to provide the best care for Genesis. If you want to help, you can visit Genesis’s Go Fund Me page.

Your generosity can make a profound difference in Genesis’s fight against leukemia. Every donation, no matter the size, will contribute to medical bills, necessary treatments, and the overall well-being of this resilient family.”-Jennifer Plouffe Farland.

Application deadline March 1st – Online info sessions January 31st and February 13th.

“NEW BEDFORD, MA – The SouthCoast Community Foundation, the largest provider of scholarships in southeastern Massachusetts, has opened its 2024 online application, with a March 1st deadline. Students complete just one application — no FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) is required this year — and applicants are automatically matched with all eligible scholarship opportunities. More than 100 scholarships totaling over $700,000 will be awarded to high school seniors and college students in 2024.

“Supporting students in their pursuit and completion of postsecondary education and training as a path to increased economic mobility is a priority of the Community Foundation,” said Melanie Edwards-Tavares, President and CEO of the SouthCoast Community Foundation. “A recent study by the Washington Student Achievement Council concluded there is ‘strong evidence that a postsecondary education is a great intergenerational economic equalizer.’ We know that our cities lag in comparison to the rest of the state regarding postsecondary attendance, and we aim to change that by supporting students who may not otherwise be able to afford college or trade schools.”

SouthCoast Community Foundation photo.

Scholarships include: the Manuel S. Pina Scholarship (up to $10,000), offered to area students of Cape Verdean descent; the BankFive scholarship (up to $40,000), open to any college-bound senior in Bristol County, MA and Bristol and Newport Counties, RI; the Lipsky-Whittaker LGBTQ Scholarship (up to $5,000) for students who identify as LGBTQ+ or have been raised in an LGBTQ+ household; and the Jacobs Family Scholarship (up to $35,000) for New Bedford students going into science, math or engineering fields.

“My wife, Joan, and I have been delighted to be able to give back to my hometown of New Bedford over the years. Each year, we enjoy meeting the five students who are receiving the Jacobs Family Scholarship, and to connect with past scholars and hear about the great work they are now doing after college,” said Irwin Jacobs, a 1950 New Bedford High School graduate who went on to found Qualcomm, a multinational corporation in the semiconductor, software and wireless technology industries. The Jacobs Family Scholarship Fund was established with the Community Foundation in 2000 and since then has provided over $2 million in scholarships for New Bedford students.

This year, the Community Foundation will offer two virtual information sessions, on January 31st at 6:30 pm and February 13th at 5:30 pm. In the sessions, students will learn about the application process, what scholarships are available, and how applications are evaluated. Registration is available at southcoastcf.org/scholarships

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About the SouthCoast Community Foundation
The SouthCoast Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving the communities of southeastern Massachusetts through philanthropy. The Community Foundation’s mission is to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of our region. Since 1995, the organization has distributed over $50 million from nearly 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region. For more information, visit southcoastcf.org.“-SouthCoast Community Foundation.

“It’s the season of the sticks for bald eagles! From December-February, they are collecting building materials for their nests, including large sticks.

In the mating pair, the male will collect the nesting materials and bring them to the female who will construct the nest.

You can help us identify new nest locations by letting us know if you see an eagle carrying sticks at this time of year! Send an email to mass.wildlife@mass.gov with where and when your observation took place.”-Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

“Ofc. Fonseca (left) has been coaching basketball at the Dennison Memorial Community Center for nearly 25 years! When we asked him about his two decades of coaching, he said “I love to give back to the community that pretty much raised me – I spent all of my time there as a kid.”

What is “Coach” Fonseca’s favorite part? “I love seeing them all grown up when they reach high school and college still playing the sport that I taught them. Seeing them develop is the best part, because I’m big on discipline and respect, and so when I see them still implement the same respect that I helped teach them at a young age, it makes me proud to do what I do.”

The league has two basketball divisions — pee-wee and little league. The season starts in December and lasts until March. All admission proceeds go towards the Bay State Basketball League.

Ofc. Fonseca started his career with the NBPD in September of 1998 (26 years!). During his time at the department, he has worked in the Juvenile Family Services division and as a School Resource Officer. He currently works in the Management Information System (MIS) division.

You can catch Coach Fonseca and his team at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater New Bedford Monday through Thursday night.”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

City of New Bedford Police Department photo.

City of New Bedford Police Department photo.

The South Coast of Massachusetts has been heartbroken over the death of Umass Dartmouth student athlete, “Flo Bazile.” After his body was discovered in the Acushnet River, the District Attorney’s office quickly informed us that they believe this to be a suicide.

Days after his body was discovered, a letter was posted on his Instagram page written by Flo himself and directed to his friends and family. He started the letter stating, “Hey everyone, this was scheduled to post after you know…”

The entire post is linked below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Flo? (@oh_thatsflo)

“Another Successful Nero’s Law Training. Thank you Dr. Larry Venezia once again for being our veterinarian.

We were joined by Coastal Medical, Middleboro Fire Department, Middleboro Police Department, Lakeville Police Department (MA), Wareham EMS Local 2895, Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit, Tobey Hospital, and Professional Canine Services Four Legged Angels. Special shout out to Bob and Niki Joyce.

Nero’s Law allows law enforcement officers’ K9 partners to receive life-saving medical attention and transport if they are injured in the line of duty.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit.

Last year Fairhaven Working Dog Foundation purchased a CPR mannequin and bandaging stuffed dog to assist in these trainings. This has been a labor of love to all involved in Nero’s Law. Implementation of the training wasn’t always perfect and it was certainly challenging at times. We also understood that we’d be asking a lot of our emergency medical professionals. Treating an animal in the emergency setting was not what they had all signed up for and was certainly uncharted waters.

Between union conflicts, budgeting constraints, deadlines, and beyond we ran into just about every issue trying to get our first responders trained to save our K9’s lives. We aren’t ever going to ask you to enter a scene that isn’t safe. We will never have you go beyond the scope of your jobs. All we ask is that if it is safe, and if you can, that you try to preserve their lives.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit.

Police Working Dogs are sworn members of the Police. In the military it is customary to rank the working dog one rank above the handler. This is so the handler always respects their canine partner. We swear our police working dogs in for the same reason. They are one of our own. Their careers, although shorter than most, are fruitful and exciting. They are with us side by side helping us do our jobs. They retire and live out the rest of their lives with our families being pampered and always respected.

Thank you to all our Massachusetts EMTs for coming together as a team with us to make this possible. Your new found certification and skills may just help one or more police working dogs make it to retirement.”-Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit.

All photos by Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit:

UPDATED Sunday @ 10:15pm: Good news! Thanks to the community spreading the word, Kaidyn has been found and is now safe at home.

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Original article:

“He is 14-years old and has mental health issues and PTSD, He has been off his medication for over 48 hours now. He was last seen on the corner of Country St. and Court St. in New Bedford.”-Carlos Sousa, father of Kaidyn.

*** Boston Police Department Missing Person Alert: 12 Year-Old Aliana Roberts Of Boston ***

“Aliana Roberts was last seen on 1/16/2024 in the area of Downtown Crossing (450 Washington Street) in Boston. She was wearing a white long sleeve shirt and blue pajama pants.

Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is advised to contact 911 or D4 Detectives at (617) 343-5619.

If you would prefer to share information anonymously you can do so by call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line AT 1-800 (494) -TIPS or by testing the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463)”-Boston Police Department.

Boston Police Department photo.

“What’s cooler than a new trash bin? OK, maybe your average trash and recycling containers aren’t the coolest, but we have some new compactors in New Bedford and the positive environmental impact is pretty cool.

There are 14 of these bins (one trash, one recycling) in seven well-traveled spots around the City: East Beach, West Beach, Fort Taber, Brooklawn Park, Pier-3 (pictured), Pope’s Island near Noah’s Place Playground, and Hazelwood Park.

They’re solar-powered compactors, so they squish our waste and recycling into smaller units that save space in landfills and recycling centers, and they electronically notify our crews when full so we can dispatch someone to empty them. Lately, we’ve been getting pinged about once a week to go and empty the bins, when previously we’d send someone daily to check if they need to be emptied. That’s one trip a week per site compared to seven.

The City used federal funds to purchase the compactors, and we’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact they can have in New Bedford.

We know trash cans aren’t the coolest things on social media today, but if these can help us reduce waste, keep New Bedford clean, and cut down on trips to and from several spots across the City, that’s pretty cool.”-City of New Bedford.