Hi my name is Nancy Crowell and I have a ministry called “Backpacks For The Homeless of New Bedford.”

I fill backpacks with toiletries items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, deodorants, tissues, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products for women, razors, rain ponchos, socks, hats, gloves and other items. I also accept gift cards to places like McDonald’s, Subway, Cumberland Farms, Dollar tree, Family Dollar, and Market basket. I do this solely on the donations I receive, so I am asking for help from my fellow citizens of New Bedford.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! Most of the items I am asking for only need to be traveling sizes. You can email me at backpacks4thehomelessofnb@yahoo.com. You can find Backpacks For The Homeless of New Bedford on Facebook, or you can call me at 781-534-2747. Thank you all in advance for your help.

Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts has been named a Peak Performance Award winner by Junior Achievement USA – one of only 18 Junior Achievement areas across the United States to receive this prestigious honor which requires strong program growth and implementation standards as well as sound financial and operational management.

Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts President Jeffrey Pelletier expressed his appreciation for all those that support JA across the region, “Our education programs that are preparing our local students to be successful in school and in their future careers grew by over 60% last year as we reached over 6,600 students. That is only possible because of the generosity of this region, its thanks to our generous partners that help us keep these programs 100% free to local students and schools, its thanks to the over 200 local volunteers who work with JA to help our young people see the great potential that they have, and it’s thanks to our outstanding Board of Directors and staff that work tirelessly to inspire and prepare our young people for success.”

Through an extensive volunteer network, Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts provides in-school and standalone programs to students, kindergarten through twelfth grade, which focus on three key areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Local volunteers guide the students through JA’s interactive and hands-on curriculum and also share their personal stories with students providing an important mentorship component to all JA programs. Last year, 215 volunteers brought JA programs to 52 different schools across 18 cities and towns in Southern Massachusetts.

Chairman of the Board of Directors and President & CEO of R4L Companies and Advance Career Services Nathan Araujo shared that, “On behalf of the JA Board of Directors, I would like to thank everyone that has made our organization’s recent successes and this honor possible! Our organization exists to serve students and support schools and thanks to our partners and volunteers across the region JA helps thousands of local students stay engaged in school, plan for their future careers, and become active participants in their communities. This is important work and we are grateful to the community for helping us expand our efforts.”

In addition to expanding the number of students that it reaches each year, Junior Achievement has also created new and innovative programs over the last few years including its SPARK Program – an entrepreneurship and leadership development program for local middle school girls which is highlighted by spending a week each summer on a college campus. Samantha Fregault, a member of the current SPARK Program cohort and a 7th grader at Wamsutta Middle School said, “I love JA because it allows me to dream about my future, build a plan for how I want to get there and meet lots of great friends my age looking to do exciting things as well!”

To learn more about JA or how you can get involved contact Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts President Jeffrey Pelletier at jeffrey.pelletier@ja.org, or call 508-997-6536.

Rise Up for Homes is a collaborative campaign established by the members of New Bedford’s Homeless Service Providers Network [HSPN]. It was designed to build community awareness as well as raise funds to meet the complex needs of homeless individuals and families in our community. In the efforts to bring awareness to the dire homelessness situation, local credit unions and banks partnered together to share the message across the city in a big way.

For the months of January and February, First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union, St. Anne’s Credit Union, BayCoast Bank and Southern Mass Credit Union donated their billboard space to bring awareness about homelessness across the city and raise funds for the New Bedford Emergency Overflow Shelter at the Sister Rose House.

“Rise Up for Homes relies on the support of our community and local businesses to find lasting solutions to the challenges of homelessness”, said Peter Muise, President & CEO of First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union. “The donation of billboards from these institutions speak volumes to their dedication to end homelessness in our city.”

Costing approximately $475 per night to open the Emergency Overflow Shelter, every dollar helps. To donate, visit www.riseupforhomes.com/donate or text RISEUP to 50155. If you or someone you know is homeless or at risk, please call 1-800-Homeless.  

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About First Citizens’
First Citizens’, established in 1937, has full service offices in New Bedford, Raynham, Taunton, Mattapoisett, Wareham, Falmouth, Mashpee, Hyannis, Orleans and a lending office in Plymouth, MA.  For more information, visit www.firstcitizens.org.

About St. Anne’s
St. Anne’s Credit Union, established in 1936 and headquartered in Fall River, has eight full-service branches located in SouthCoast communities including Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, New Bedford, Somerset, and Swansea. For more information, visit www.stannes.com.

About Southern Mass
Southern Mass Credit Union, established in 1922, offers a great variety of excellent services and products with branches in New Bedford, Fairhaven and Fall River. For more information, visit www.southernmass.com.

About BayCoast Bank
BayCoast Bank, established in 1851, is a successful community bank serving the people and businesses of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. BayCoast has locations in Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, New Bedford, North Dighton, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, and Tiverton & Little Compton, R.I. For more information, visit www.baycoastbank.com.

In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Stang High School hosted the Greater New Bedford Catholic Schools Challenge on February 1. Students from All Saints (New Bedford), Holy Family Holy Name (New Bedford), St. Francis Xavier (Acushnet), St. James St. John (New Bedford), and St. Joseph (Fairhaven) participated in a variety of team challenges, coordinated by Bishop Stang faculty/staff and mentored by Stang students. All Saints Catholic School was the 2018 Greater New Bedford Catholic Schools Challenge winner!

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Bishop Stang High School
Our Mission
Bishop Stang High School is a community rooted in, and dedicated to spreading the message of Jesus Christ as handed down through the teachings of the Catholic Church and the charism of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. A diocesan, co-educational, college preparatory school serving a diverse student population, we are called to holistically educate our students to be spiritually, academically, and socially prepared to meet the demands of higher learning and of life. Providing a disciplined yet nurturing atmosphere that combines academic excellence with Christian values, we educate our students to be people of integrity and global awareness who value a commitment to service.

To learn more about Bishop Stang High School, visit us at www.bishopstang.org , follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BishopStangHS, and find us on Facebook at Bishop Stang High School.

New Bedford Mayor Mitchell submitted the following ordinance amendment to City Council, amending Chapter 9, of the City Code by adding Section 5720 TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS.

Mayor Mitchell’s amendment calls for a “temporary moratorium on the use of land or structures for a marijuana establishment and other uses related to non-medical marijuana.”

DOC013118-008-Recreational_Marijuana_Temporary_Moratorium

Members of the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit and Woburn Police officers today arrested a Florida man who allegedly came to Massachusetts to make contact with and photograph a woman he planned to traffic for sex.

KENDALL CRAWLEY, 46, of Lake Mary, Florida, is charged with human trafficking. He is being booked at the Woburn Police Station and will be arraigned in Woburn District Court, most likely tomorrow.

CRAWLEY was arrested after Troopers assigned to the High Risk Victims Unit developed information that he allegedly trafficked women for sex. In an investigation that included an undercover operation, CRAWLEY allegedly arranged to go to a hotel in Woburn this afternoon for the purpose of meeting and photographing someone he thought would work as a prostitute for him. The investigation suggests that CRAWLEY intended to traffic the woman for sex through online sites.

At approximately 3 p.m. today, when CRAWLEY arrived at the hotel, the name of which is not being disclosed, he was arrested by Troopers and officers without incident. The investigation into CRAWLEY is ongoing. No further information about his arrest is being released at this time.

The Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victims Unit conducts investigations into human traffickers and aims to connect victims with resources to help them. The unit conducts investigations on its own and in partnership with local police departments.

Early Tuesday afternoon, multiple search warrants were executed on Sherman Street and Bay Street in Springfield, as well as on a vehicle owned by the target of the investigation, by members of the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of nearly a kilogram of cocaine, a 9MM handgun and ammunition, and $35,000. Troopers and officers arrested the target, a Springfield man, for trafficking in heroin.

“We continue to fight this epidemic by aggressively going after drug traffickers while also trying to assist those fighting addiction,” Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said at a press conference today. “I would like to thank all the law enforcement agencies involved in this very significant bust, especially those Troopers and task force officers from my office who initiated and lead this investigation. The Hampden District Attorney’s Office Drug and Gun Unit will now continue with our partners in law enforcement to aggressively prosecute this case.”

The investigation and raids were undertaken by Massachusetts State Police Troopers assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, the Springfield Police Department Narcotics Unit, and agents with Homeland Security Investigations-Springfield.

Due to the expected weather conditions, the overflow at 71 Division Street will be opened tonight. All inquiries can be forwarded to Sister Rose House and 1-800-homeless.. All inquiries can be forwarded to Sister Rose House and 1-800-homeless

Few things strike more fear in people’s hearts than a call from the IRS.
 
Unfortunately, scammers know this.
 
All too often, they call unsuspecting taxpayers saying  they are with the IRs and claiming  that they owe money. Panicked at the thought, victims have been known to send thousands of dollars of what they are told is unpaid back taxes to the scammers.
 
Then the scammers vanish. And so does the victims’ money.
 
Only  then do victims realize: The caller was not from the IRS at all.
 
In fact, the IRS does not call customers. They do not have the authority to issue warrants or make arrests.
 
The New Bedford Police Department and the IRS are warning the public to be aware that scammers claiming to be with the IRS can be especially prevalent this time of year, with tax deadline on the horizon.
  
Police urge the public to keep in mind a few basic points about the IRS.
 
The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.
 
The IRS does not threaten taxpayers with lawsuits, imprisonment or other enforcement actions. If you have no reason to believe you owe taxes and you receive calls, call 1-800-366-4484. Visit irs.gov for more information on scams and schemes.
 
For more information, call the New Bedford Police Department at 508-991-6300, ext. 79519.

M.G.L. Ch. 6 S. 178C-178Q. The Sex Offender Registry Board has determined that this individual has a moderate or high risk to re-offend and that the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that public safety interest is served by public availability of registration information.

Robert A. Gautreau
42 Years old.
5’10”- 190 lbs.
6 Evergreen Street,
Fairhaven