Here’s the official transcript of former FBI director James Comey statement for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on June 8th, 2017.

os-jcomey-060817

Live testimony:

Fall River Development News reported on their Facebook page that the Denny’s Restaurant chain is coming back to Fall River.

Fall River Development News has learned that the Denny’s Restaurant chain is coming back to Fall River. C&L Fall River LLC, d/b/a Denny’s will be going before the city Licensing Board on June 21st, seeking a Common Victuallers license to operate a Denny’s Restaurant location in the south end of the city.

It will be a free standing building on a lot adjacent to Mariano Bishop Boulevard and William S Canning Boulevard. For many years Denny’s operated a location in the city’s downtown at 211 Milliken Boulevard, which has since been converted into a medical practice.

The Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory analyzes substances seized by Massachusetts State Police or other police agencies that are suspected to be illegal narcotics. The samples submitted for testing generally are those found on arrested suspects, purchased by undercover officers, seized during search warrants, or recovered from crime scenes.

In recent weeks, the MSP Crime Laboratory analyzed three samples that tested positive for carfentanil, an extremely dangerous synthetic opioid. Two of the samples confirmed by our lab to be carfentanil were submitted by Brockton Police. The third was submitted by Transit Police, who seized the substance in the Quincy area.

These confirmed tests represent the first, and to date the only, carfentanil that we have seen in Massachusetts. The state of New Hampshire recent confirmed several suspected overdose deaths caused by carfentanil. To date, the Massachusetts State Police are not aware of any carfentanil overdose deaths in our state.

Members of the general public and first responders are urged to be aware of the extreme lethality of carfentanil. Carfentanil can come in many forms, and can be mixed with other drugs or disguised as heroin.

One of the tested samples confirmed as carfentanil by our Crime Laboratory was mixed with cocaine; the others were purely carfentanil. Users of illegal opioids likely would not know if they are ingesting carfentanil just by the appearance of the substance they are taking.

Most carfentanil that has been found in the United States has been produced in Mexico or China. Carfentanil is many, many more times more powerful than fentanyl, another synthetic opioid, which in turn is itself many more times potent than heroin. Carfentanil is so powerful that it has been used to sedate elephants weighing many thousands of pounds. It has no legitimate medical uses for humans.
The photo included with this post shows the size of a dose of carfentanil, as compared to a penny, that can be fatal.

Adding additional concern is that carfentanil can be absorbed through the skin via just casual contact, or accidentally inhaled. Through our Commonwealth Fusion Center, the Massachusetts State Police have issued bulletins warning police, firefighters and other first responders of steps they should take to protect themselves from carfentanil, including wearing protective gloves and protective coverings for their mouth and nose.

Carfentanil Facts:

-Carfentanil is a Schedule II drug not approved for medical use or human consumption. This drug is traditionally used as a tranquilizer for large animals, such as elephants.
-The majority of illicit carfentanil found in the United States is produced in Mexico and China.
-Carfentanil is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which can be lethal in the 2-milligram range.
-Carfentanil is a serious danger to the public, first responders, and medical and laboratory personnel. It can be absorbed through the skin or through accidental inhalation of airborne powder.
-Symptoms of exposure include respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, and clammy skin. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes of exposure.
-First responders should avoid field testing suspected fentanyl or a fentanyl-related compound. Only specially trained and outfitted law enforcement professionals should handle any suspect substance, and the appropriate officials within the agency should be notified.

Mayor Jon Mitchell and the City of New Bedford Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development announce that the city’s Community Preservation Committee is hosting three community meetings on Tuesday, June 20; Thursday, June 22; and Tuesday, June 27 to solicit feedback from the public that will help inform the forthcoming “Community Preservation Plan.”

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was adopted by New Bedford voters through a ballot question in November 2014. This statewide legislation allows communities to create dedicated funding for: open space, outdoor recreational facilities, historic preservation and affordable housing activities in the city. Oversight of this process rests with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), the body established by the city to oversee the CPA program in New Bedford.

For several months, and with the support of the city’s Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development, the CPC has begun drafting a Community Preservation Plan that identifies the city’s priorities in each of these four funding categories using existing plans (such as the City’s 2020 Master Plan, Consolidated Plan, Action Plan and Open Space & Recreation Plan) and other current planning documents. The Community Preservation Plan is an important first step in deciding how and where CPA funding should be spent.

To ensure that the Community Preservation Plan includes the most accurate representation of the city’s priorities, the CPC is hosting three community meetings in June at three different locations: Hazelwood Park Senior Center on Tuesday, June 20; Buttonwood Park Community Center on Thursday, June 22; and Brooklawn Park Community Center on Tuesday, June 27. All meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be interpretive services available for Portuguese and Spanish speakers at all three meetings and there will be Spanish simultaneous interpretation at the June 27 meeting held at the Brooklawn Park Community Center.

While each of these meetings will provide some information about the CPA and our local process, they will primarily focus on gathering ideas and feedback from the public. Although each community meeting will cover the same content, the meetings will be held in three different areas of the city to ensure everyone has an opportunity to have a voice in developing this plan and the city’s priorities about how CPA funding can be used in New Bedford.

Once the Community Preservation Plan is completed, the CPC will open up an application process where funding can be sought for specific projects. The CPC will review, select and recommend project applications to the City Council for final consideration and awarding of funds.

Questions concerning the public meetings or the Community Preservation Plan can be directed to the Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development at 508.979.1500 or 508.979.1488.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce that its Executive Director, Laura Orleans, will receive the Massachusetts History Commendation at this year’s Massachusetts History Conference. The award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the interpretation and presentation of Massachusetts history.  The award ceremony will take place at the 2017 Mass History Conference to be held on June 12 at the College of Holy Cross, Worcester.

Ms. Orleans will be recognized for her more than 20-year commitment to documenting and presenting community history of New Bedford’s working waterfront. Her work emphasizes programming that gives voice to those who are often unheard and helps communities find common ground. These ideals drove her early career as an ethnographer and folklorist and also led her to more recent work as Founding Director of both the Working Waterfront Festival and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Orleans is also an Archie Green Fellow with the Library of Congress, documenting workers in the shore-side trades of the New Bedford/Fairhaven fishing industry.

Now in its 13th year, the Massachusetts History Conference draws hundreds of organizations each year to discuss preserving, interpreting, and deepening the exploration of Massachusetts history. This year’s conference will focus on the ways that public history organizations and institutions large and small inspire and engage audiences and constituencies.

The event is co-sponsored by Mass Humanities and a coalition of historical organizations around the state. The full program and registration information are available online at masshumanities.org. Mass Humanities joins the rest of the conference committee in congratulating the awardees.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives.

The New Bedford Health Department–working closely with the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health—is again this year conducting an annual monitoring program to track the potential threat from EEE and WNV carrying mosquitoes. Under the program, mosquito traps are put in place to collect pools of mosquitoes and mosquito populations are monitored throughout the summer months.

As part of the mosquito tracking program, the New Bedford Health Department will request that the BCMCP target key areas of the New Bedford for spraying, including public parks and locations that host large public events.

As such, the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project will conduct targeted ground spraying for mosquitoes early on the morning of Thursday, June 8, 2017. This round of spraying will target areas including Buttonwood Park, Brooklawn Park, Fort Taber, Hazelwood Park, Riverside Park, Clasky Park, Ashley Park, the Poor Farm area, Pier 3 and the Downtown area. Spraying will take place between 2:00 am and sunrise on Thursday morning, weather permitting. Residents in the vicinity of the targeted areas may wish to close their windows this evening prior to the spraying.

The Bristol County Mosquito Control Program will complete its spraying program for the season this week. With cooler overnight temperatures, mosquito surveillance is less effective and the small numbers of mosquitoes trapped are not indicative of actual risk. While spraying is no longer an effective tool in reducing the threat under current temperature conditions, other precautionary measures remain effective.

Though populations are declining as we move away from mosquito season and into colder weather, it remains important to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Residents are urged to apply mosquito repellent and use clothing to reduce exposed skin.

The risk of mosquito-borne illness typically extends until an area has experienced a hard frost. A hard, or killing frost is defined meteorologically as two consecutive hours of temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. This will occur at different times for different communities, and there may even be variation within communities based on local geography. Although mosquitoes are not killed until a hard frost occurs, they are extremely unlikely to be active when temperatures fall below 50 degrees in the evening. These conditions are being experienced throughout the region.

Like EEE and West Nile, the New Bedford Health Department works closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to track other emerging mosquito-borne diseases such as the Zika virus. While Zika-carrying mosquitoes have not been identified the New Bedford area, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports that the likelihood of becoming infected with Zika virus from a mosquito bite in Massachusetts is very low, residents are urged to take the general precautionary measures to prevent mosquito bites. In addition, travelers to areas where the Zika virus has been detected in mosquitoes or humans should take extra precaution to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes during their trip. This includes both females and males who travel to areas where the Zika virus is occurring. If you or your partner is planning on traveling, you should check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information about where Zika virus is occurring: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-information.

The same precautionary measures are advised for EEE, WNV, and the Zika virus. These include the following:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Ø Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours – While mosquitoes are out at all hours of the day, their peak biting times are from dusk to dawn. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning. Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing, especially if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors.

Ø Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Ø Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Ø Drain Standing Water – Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Ø Install or Repair Screens – Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

A parent of a New Bedford High School student was upset that her daughter wasn’t allowed to prom for being absent from school on prom day.

“I’d like to let my voice be heard in regards to New Bedford High School prom rules. I feel there definitely was a lack of communication if five underclass men were denied access to Prom for not going to school today.

My daughter is an excellent student as well as her date. This is a once in a lifetime milestone and my daughter was robbed of her special night. NBHS has a lot more bigger issues. Punish the students who need to be punished not the ones that excel.” – Kerrie Gomes

We confirmed with New Bedford high school officials that it is official policy that kids must be in attendance on the day of prom or be prohibited from attending the prom.

As of June 5th, 2017, five New Bedford residents have pulled nomination papers to run for mayor in this year’s mayoral race; Michael Janson, Charlie Perry Jr., David Pimentel, Mitchell Garner and Michael Proule. Michael Janson also pulled nomination paper for at-Large City Council and usually makes his decision at the drop-off deadline. Current Mayor Jon Mitchell hasn’t pulled nomination papers for re-election yet.

Residents have until August 15th to get a minimum of 50 certified signatures to the New Bedford elections office to become official candidates for the preliminary election on October 3rd. The top two vote getters compete in a final election on November 7th.

The list of people pulling papers is expected to grow, but it’s common for residents to pull nomination papers and not run for office.

The victim of yesterday’s June 5th shooting on South First Street in the City of New Bedford died at Rhode Island Hospital late this evening.

The victim has been identified as 18-year-old Brad Lourenco, of New Bedford who had several criminal cases pending.

At around 2:30 pm today, New Bedford Police were dispatched to a park near the intersection of South First Street and Blackmer Street for a reported shooting. When first responders arrived, they located the victim and rushed him to Rhode Island Hospital where he remained in critical condition for several hours before perishing late this evening.

Shortly after the shooting, New Bedford Police arrested two city men in connection to the incident. Ivan Fontanez, Jr., 20, and Keeland Rose, 23, are both charged at this time with assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, carrying an illegal firearm, carrying a loaded illegal firearm and illegal discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

Both defendants will be arraigned today in New Bedford District Court.

The active and ongoing investigation is being coordinated by Homicide Unit Prosecutors from this office and is being jointly conducted by New Bedford Police and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office.

CITY OF NEW BEDFORD
WATER REGISTRAR $51,655 – $64,574
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Manages and supervises the billing and collections of 24,000 water and sewer accounts monthly. Provides excellence in customer service, ensuring that the staff does as well, and maintains accurate and reliable account records.

Manages full cycle accounts receivable: ensuring that collections are strong; reconciles accounts receivable to City’s ledger, taking actions when collections are not strong (initiating and managing shutoff procedures, lien procedures, etc). Prepares department’s receivables for annual audit. Provides excellence in customer service to the public and ensures that the staff has proper customer service skills. Prepares Standard Operating Procedures and updated policies, and ensures they are effectively implemented, and generally assists in the department’s overall goal of digitizing records and creating streamlined processes.

Two years of college-level coursework or an Associate’s Degree in Business Management, Public Administration, Human Resources, or a closely related subject. Bachelor’s Degree preferred. Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, customer and revenue account structure, including knowledge of bill codes and how they function within the City’s ledger. Knowledge of collection trends necessary to accurately prepare projections. Mandatory CORI (Criminal Offender Record Investigation) background check per City Council Ordinance effective May 14, 2013.

For application/complete job description, please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov or contact the Personnel Dept., 133 William St., Room 212, 508-979-1444. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. New Bedford has a residency requirement. EEO