Bristol Community College will be hosting a COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinic on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, from noon to 4 p.m., at the Bristol Fall River Campus. The clinic is open to the general public, ages 12 and up, and will be distributing the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine boosters. The clinic will also be providing flu shots.

Wednesday, January 12, from noon to 4 p.m.
Bristol Community College Fall River Campus, 777 Elsbree Street
Margaret L. Jackson Arts Center (H building)

Who can receive a COVD-19 vaccine at Bristol’s clinic on 1/12?
Bristol students, employees and the general public, ages 12 and up, who have not yet been vaccinated or who qualify for a booster.

Vaccine Booster: To see if you qualify for a vaccine booster, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html.

How does it work?
Bristol’s COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination Clinic will be accepting walk-ins. No appointments or pre-registration are necessary. COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine boosters from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, as well as flu shots, will be administered by Stop & Shop Pharmacy at Bristol’s Fall River Campus, free of charge. Please bring a valid ID and Insurance cards.

Second COVID-19 Vaccine: Individuals receiving the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines will also be scheduled to receive their second dose of the vaccine.

For more information, please contact Bristol Community College Health Services, by email at healthservices@bristolcc.edu or visit http://www.bristolcc.edu/vaxup.

“Santa’s sleigh won’t be the only thing delivering toys this holiday season.

On Thursday, December 16, the Troop B Community Action Team (CAT) assisted the Young Mens’ Club of Hadley with a sizable donation to the Hampshire County Toys for Tots organization. Troop B CAT members Sergeant M. McNally, Troopers T. Tudryn, D. Cahill, and D. Brown were contacted by Richard Downie, the Vice-President of the Young Mens’ Club.

Members of Mr. Downie’s Club had purchased over $1,000 worth of toys and wished to donate them to Toys For Tots. Troop B CAT arranged to pick up the toys and deliver them the Toys for Tots drop off location in Chicopee. In total, it took eight large bags and four State Police cruisers to transport the toys.

In addition to toy donations, the Young Mens’ Club does other wonderful things for their community such as hosting a free kids’ fishing derby, as well as awarding various scholarships to local high school students annually.

#MSPTogetherWeCan” -Massachusetts State Police.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

“Santa, along with some helpers from the New Bedford Police Department, went to random locations around the city to pass out toys to all the kids last night.

Happy holidays from us to you???”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

All photos by the New Bedford Police Department:

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of December 27, 2021 – December 31, 2021 and they are as follows:

Eversource will be working on the gas main relays and services at:

• Relaying gas main on Church St at Tarkiln Hill Rd

Other:

• MassDOT Project #608536, intersection improvements at Rockdale Ave X Allen St is wrapped up for the winter season. Contractor (JH Lynch) will be returning in March 2022, weather pending, to resume utility work and intersection upgrades.
• MassDOT Project #606718, roadway reconstruction and related work (including traffic signal installation) along a section of Hathaway Rd, Nauset St and Mt Pleasant St is wrapped up for the winter season. Contractor (KR Rezendes, Inc) will be returning in March 2022, weather pending, to resume final site work.
• Contractor (PA Landers) to continue work at MassDOT Project #606709 with drainage work along a section of Kings Highway and Tarkiln Hill Rd.
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the City. (Church St at Carlisle St and Wamsutta St at Acushnet Ave.) If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• Due to ongoing construction at the High Hill Reservoir residents may experience discolored water. The water is safe, and the discoloration will be temporary. We recommend allowing the water to settle for a few hours and then flushing your service line by letting the bathtub run for a few minutes until the water runs clear.

** Please note: Contractors will continue to follow guidelines and protocol regarding COVID-19 social distancing while conducting work in construction zone.

Donations support nine local organizations serving individuals and families in need.

Southcoast Health is proud to once again expand our Community Benefits program into the holiday season through Southcoast Health Cares by supporting nine organizations that care for so many in our region. Throughout the year, the Southcoast Health Community Benefits team collaborates with more than a hundred community partners to understand, prioritize and develop programming to address the most pressing needs of our community.

In early December, Southcoast Cares partnered with My Brother’s Keeper to lead a collection drive supporting local families in need. Once again, demonstrating their generosity and commitment to the community, Southcoast Health employees chose to give back by adopting specific families or gifting much-needed items ranging from toys, art and crafts, clothing and household items for children, teens and adults during this holiday season.

“Southcoast Cares allows us to deliver on our mission of providing More than medicine, directly addressing emerging needs in the community,” says Alison LeBert, Manager of Community Benefits at Southcoast Health. “It was wonderful to see the number of gifts collected in the employee holiday gift drive and the overwhelming support of our effort to give back to our community.”

“For the second year in a row, Southcoast Health will help make Christmas a very special day for hundreds of struggling local families,” says Erich Miller, President of My Brother’s Keeper. “The gifts the employees donated to benefit the My Brother’s Keeper Christmas Program will be cherished by the children who will receive them. Equally important, these generous donations will alleviate the stress and anxiety of parents who would otherwise watch their children go without gifts this Christmas. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and for joining us in delivering help and hope to families throughout the South Coast.”

My Brother’s Keeper delivers furniture and food to families in need living in the Southeastern service area. Founded in 1988 by a husband and wife from the basement of their home, today 4,000 volunteers and 14 employees work together from two modern facilities, located in Easton and Dartmouth, to make 9,000 deliveries each year.

Southcoast Health is committed to our mission of providing healthcare that extends beyond direct patient care. We understand that the environment in which we live, work, play, and age is the greatest indicator of health and overall wellness. In addition to the collection drive, Southcoast Health also provided monetary support to eight local organizations spanning across our region:

• United Way of Greater New Bedford
• Salvation Army Fall River Corps Community Center
• Salvation Army New Bedford Corps Community Center
• Salvation Army Newport Corps
• Mercy Meals and More
• Turning Point
• PACE
• Citizens for Citizens

“Southcoast Health’s very generous donation allows Turning Point to continue helping our neighbors who are experiencing temporary financial difficulty by assisting with rent arrears, utility bills, transportation challenges, etc. With so many people living paycheck to paycheck, especially in these trying times, we are honored to be here, ready to assist, thanks in part to Southcoast Health,” says Deb Ito, Director of Turning Point, the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless. “On behalf of the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless, Turning Point and its clients, a truly heartfelt thank you to Southcoast for your continued support.”

Southcoast Heath is delighted to assist these wonderful organizations in their mission to serve and support the people of our region.

“I’d like to thank the administration and staff of the Southcoast Health Group for the kindness and generosity they have shown our organization,” says Liz Berube, Executive Director of Citizens for Citizens, Inc. “By caring for the wellbeing of our community members and supporting the efforts of local organizations like CFC during such a critical time in recent history, Southcoast Health has proven to be a true champion of Community Action and we are proud to partner with them to aid and support our most vulnerable community members.”

The Community Benefits team collaborates with community partners to reduce health disparities and provide improved access to care, through upstream strategies that are proactive and focused on improving long-term health outcomes that will influence generational change. To learn more about Southcoast Cares and Southcoast Health’s community benefits programs, please visit Southcoast Cares – Southcoast Health.
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About Southcoast Health

Celebrating the system’s 25th anniversary in 2021, Southcoast Health is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region, serving communities in Rhode Island and across Southeastern Massachusetts. Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Out of the 2,743 considered hospitals in the United States, only 250 earned this recognition. In 2020 and 2021, St. Luke’s is a Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals. US News ranks Southcoast 9th among hospitals in Massachusetts, and 2nd among those in the Providence Metro area. In 2019 and 2020, the Southcoast Health system also received seven awards, including Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work, in SouthCoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards voted on by residents and readers.

With 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in Southeastern Mass., and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. Southcoast Health is proud of our mission of providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to our patients and proud of our tradition of eliminating the barriers that prevent access to care. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast Health through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System.

“The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid in full the mortgage on the home of fallen Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas Clardy.

Trooper Clardy lost his life in a motor vehicle crash on March 16, 2016, on I-90 in Charlton. The crash occurred when an impaired operator in a speeding vehicle crossed three lanes of traffic and careened into Clardy’s cruiser on the side of the highway.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

The impact killed Clardy, a 44-year-old married father of six children. Trooper Clardy was an 11-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police and served in the United States Marine Corps and Army.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is a group that supports first responders, veterans, and their families across the U.S. The organization has paid the mortgages of nearly 450 homes of fallen service members and first responders. In a small ceremony at the Clardy home attended by Colonel Mason, friends of Trooper Clardy and family, Tunnels To Towers did their part to ensure stability and security after the Clardys’ sudden, tragic loss.

Trooper Clardy is survived by his wife Reisa, and children Tyler, Lily, Gabryella, Emma, Eva, and Noah.”

Massachusetts State Police photo.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito today announced $3.5 million in grants to 70 municipalities through the Community Compact Cabinet Information Technology grant program. The Baker-Polito Administration has now issued 749 grants through this program worth $19.2 million to help Massachusetts communities become more efficient and innovative while improving their technology infrastructure.

“Technology systems support so many of the critical services that Massachusetts cities, towns and school districts provide to residents,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud that our Administration, through the work of the Community Compact Cabinet, is continuing its partnership with local communities to enable another round of innovative IT improvement projects.”

“Since the beginning of the grant program, our collaboration with cities and towns across the Commonwealth has led to hundreds of transformative technology investments, from public safety systems upgrades to establishing online permitting,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “As the Chair of the Community Compact Cabinet, I am pleased to announce and congratulate the 70 municipalities receiving awards in this year’s round of grants.”

Pittsfield will receive $99,750 to build a downtown public Wi-Fi network in this round of funding – the third award that the city has received through the Community Compact IT Grant program in last five years. The city received $95,000 in Fiscal Year 2019 for the implementation of wireless infrastructure for internal and public use and $40,000 in Fiscal Year 2017 for switching infrastructure to enable telephone system consolidation.

Other examples of Community Compact IT Grant program awards this year include:

• $114,503 for East Longmeadow to bolster their cybersecurity infrastructure and improve disaster recovery capabilities
• $100,000 for Plymouth to implement an online permitting system
• $73,478 for Athol to implement network security across all town buildings
• $60,000 for Hopkinton to implement a records management system
• $48,615 for Revere for network systems integration
• $25,000 for Leicester for cloud-based software for EMTs and paramedics

“We are proud to continue supporting a wide range of impactful IT initiatives that will undoubtedly improve the efficiency and reliability of government services,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael Heffernan. “We appreciate the continued commitment and partnership of our local community leaders in identifying and undertaking these projects to better serve their businesses, residents, and visitors.”

“The Baker-Polito Administration has long recognized the importance of modernizing the Commonwealth’s IT and cybersecurity infrastructure, as well as improving the constituent digital experience,” said Technology & Security Secretary Curt Wood. “Now, more than ever, it is essential that municipalities are able to deliver the critical services that government provides through a secure digital environment.”

The application period for the new Municipal Fiber Grant program will run from March 15 to April 15, 2022. This competitive grant program through the Community Compact Cabinet is designed to support closing critical gaps that exist in municipal networks, which allows for the central management of IT infrastructure, improves cybersecurity, and can provide overall network cost savings.

About the Community Compact Cabinet

Formed in January 2015, the Community Compact Cabinet is chaired by Lt. Governor Polito and is composed of the Secretaries of Housing and Economic Development, Education, Transportation, Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Technology Services and Security, along with the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Local Services and the Assistant Secretary of Operational Services. The Community Compact Cabinet elevates the Administration’s partnerships with cities and towns, and allows the Governor’s Office to work more closely with leaders from all municipalities. The Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities. The creation of Community Compacts creates clear standards, expectations and accountability for both partners.

Southcoast Health’s St. Luke’s and Charlton Memorial Hospitals have been recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report.

Southcoast Health was among the one-third of hospitals evaluated by U.S. News for maternity care to be designated as ‘High Performing,’ which is the highest rating U.S. News awards for maternity care. To earn this designation, Southcoast Health’s maternity services demonstrated excellence in important quality metrics, including complication rates, C-sections, whether births were scheduled too early in pregnancy, and how successfully the system supported breastfeeding.

“Southcoast Health is proud to be recognized as a premier destination for maternity services,” says Kim M. Pina, Nurse Manager of the Family Centered Unit and Pediatrics at St. Luke’s Hospital. “The Family Centered and Pediatrics Units here provide high quality state of the art care to the patients in our community, and I am honored to work with our incredible staff who continually goes above and beyond for every patient to assure they have the best possible experience.”

Jennifer Bloom MEd, BSN, Nurse Manager at Charlton Memorial Hospital agreed. “This recognition from the U.S. News and World Report demonstrates the exceptional care provided to all moms, babies and families in the Southcoast Health Family Centered Units, including the more than 3,000 babies delivered in our system’s hospitals last year. I am proud to work on an amazing team where all staff take pride in their work on the unit and provide compassionate care under all circumstances.”

“All families deserve to be informed on how hospitals perform on key indicators of quality, which is why U.S. News has compiled and published a trove of maternal health data from hospitals across the country,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News & World Report. “The hospitals we’ve recognized as High Performing meet a high standard in caring for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies.”

Unique to the U.S. News site, participating hospital profiles are a one-stop shop and include a variety of relevant offerings for parents-to-be, including key measures of safety, alongside services and amenities, like private rooms, valet parking and availability of child birthing classes.

The evaluation looks at hospital data relating to only uncomplicated pregnancies, not high-risk pregnancies. Participating hospitals responded to a survey from the U.S. News health analysis team in spring of 2021, which reflects data from 2019. Participation was voluntary. Click here to view the full Best Hospitals for Maternity Care list. An updated list of Best Hospitals for Maternity is expected to publish in summer of 2022, to coincide with the release of the 2022-23 Best Hospitals for Procedures & Conditions ratings.

For more information about Southcoast Health’s maternity services please visit: Maternity Services MA | Southcoast Health

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About Southcoast Health

Celebrating the system’s 25th anniversary in 2021, Southcoast Health is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region, serving communities in Rhode Island and across Southeastern Massachusetts. Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Out of the 2,743 considered hospitals in the United States, only 250 earned this recognition. In 2020 and 2021, St. Luke’s is a Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals. US News ranks Southcoast 9th among hospitals in Massachusetts, and 2nd among those in the Providence Metro area. In 2019 and 2020, the Southcoast Health system also received seven awards, including Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work, in SouthCoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards voted on by residents and readers.

With 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in Southeastern Mass., and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. Southcoast Health is proud of our mission of providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to our patients and proud of our tradition of eliminating the barriers that prevent access to care. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast Health through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System.

Boston Police Department Missing Person Alert: 15-Year-Old Seneya Mitchell of Dorchester.

The Boston Police Department is issuing a missing person alert and asking for the public’s help in an effort to locate 15-year-old Seneya Mitchell (pictured) who was last seen at about 4:00 AM on Friday December 17, 2021, in the area of 38 Julian Street in Dorchester.

Seneya is approximately 5’4” in height, 190 lbs. and was last seen wearing black pajamas and a black jacket. She has run away in the past and has been known to frequent the South Bay Mall and Grove Hall areas as well as the town of Belmont.

Anyone who sees Seneya Mitchell is asked to call District B-2 Detectives at (617) 343-4275 or 911.

Community members wishing to assist the search anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.

The Buttonwood Senior Center is closed until further notice to protect residents from COVID-19 during the latest surge in transmission of the disease, the City’s Council on Aging said.

“With the number of COVID-19 cases rising rapidly across the region and entire state, the last thing we want to do, in accounting for everyone’s health and safety, is encourage our seniors to congregate,” Council on Aging Director Debra Lee said. “The Council on Aging has closed the Buttonwood center until case numbers show some consistency in reduction. The Council is sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, but safety must take precedence as this pandemic continues.”

The Buttonwood Senior Center, also known as the Warming House, is at 1 Oneida St. in Buttonwood Park.

Earlier this month, the Council on Aging announced it was suspending transportation from the Council for anything other than social day programming, also due to COVID-19 concerns.

The City will announce the Senior Center’s re-opening on its website and social media channels at a future date when COVID-19 conditions allow.