On Thursday at about 8:00 p.m., a Massachusetts State Police cruiser was struck on Route 495 southbound, prior to Exit 45 in Methuen which resulted in injuries to the trooper and the driver who struck him. That driver is now under arrest for Operating Under the Influence of Liquor – 4th Offense – among other charges.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a state trooper was working a road construction detail when his cruiser was struck by a 2005 Cadillac Escalade operated by JOSEPH DOIRON, 59, of North Andover.

The trooper who was operating the cruiser was transported to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen for treatment of minor injuries. DOIRON was transported to Lawrence General Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was subsequently placed under arrest on the following charges:

• Operating Under the Influence of Liquor (4th Offense)
• Operating to Endanger
• Failure to Stay within Marked Lanes
• Having an Open Container of Alcohol in Vehicle
• Speeding

DOIRON is currently at Lawrence General Hospital. He will be arraigned in Lawrence District Court at a later date. State Police were assisted on scene by Methuen Fire and EMS.

Meet Caitlyn Fontes, 30-year-old co-owner of Two Sisters and author.

Caitlyn has worked in the food industry for the majority of her adult life and throughout a good portion of her teenage years. She got her start in restaurants, waitressing at a small breakfast place in Fairhaven.

With the recent death of her grandfather, her and her sister decided that they wanted to open a restaurant in memory of him. Due to the lack of food trucks in New Bedford, in comparison to the rest of the cities in our country, they decided to try their luck building one of their own. Two Sisters was born, a Portuguese-styled restaurant, to honor their grandfather and culture that they were born into.

Although it began with a bumpy start, stolen generators and kitchen fires, they have just passed their milestone of 10,000 orders fulfilled in just the first 6 months. Caitlyn loves what Two Sisters means to her family and New Bedford, hoping to diversify the locations of the truck by adding more to the fleet.

Not only has Caitlyn successfully opened her own food truck, but has had her hand in publishing children’s books. Her series, Magestica: The Land of Imagination, was inspired by one of her favorite authors advice to her at a signing, “You want to write a book? What’s stopping you?”

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com

Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section is searching for MARTIN B. SANTIAGO, 49, who did not show up for his food stamp fraud and money laundering trial today in Essex Superior Court. Investigators have determined that SANTIAGO has forcibly removed his court-ordered monitoring device.

SANTIAGO was scheduled to begin trial today for his alleged involvement in a scheme to fraudulently sell food stamps and launder money. SANTIAGO is charged with trafficking $1.5 million in EBT benefits at his three stores in Lawrence. He was arrested for those offenses in June 2015 and has been awaiting trial since then.

The Essex County District Attorney’s Office sought a high cash bail at SANTIAGO’s arraignment in Superior Court. Bail was set, however, over the District Attorney’s objection, at $75,000 cash with GPS monitoring. SANTIAGO’s GPS ankle bracelet was cut off at approximately 6 a.m. today. A warrant for his arrest has issued following his default on the court appearance today.

SANTIAGO is from the Dominican Republic, is not a United States citizen, and is fluent in Spanish. He is Hispanic, has black hair and brown eyes, is 5’11” tall, and weighs approximately 190 lbs. (A 2012 photo of him is attached). He has ties to the Lawrence and Methuen areas. In the past, he has used the fraudulent identities Mark Santiago and Martin Billone Santiago.

Anyone with information on MARTIN B. SANTIAGO’s whereabouts, or who thinks they see him, is urged to call the Massachusetts State Police at 1-800-KAPTURE (1-800-527-8873).

Early this morning the Taunton Police Detective Division arrested two suspects in the shooting of a female clerk at Eagan’s Liquor store last night.

The shooter has been identified as a 17 year old juvenile from Taunton. He was arrested this morning. The second suspect has also been taken into custody and has been identified as Billy I. Morris, 18 years old of Taunton.

A search warrant was obtained by the Detective Division.

During the execution of the search warrant the gun was located by Detective Sergeant Santos at the juvenile’s residence.

The juvenile faces multiple charges. He is charged with:
1. Assault and Battery with a dangerous weapon
2. Assault to murder
3. Robbery, Armed and Masked
4. Possession of a loaded sawed off shotgun
5. Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling
6. Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery
7. Four (4) counts of Assault and Battery on a Police Officer

Billy I Morris is charged with:
1. Assault and Battery by means of a Dangerous Weapon
2. Robbery, Armed and Masked
3. Conspiracy to Commit Robbery
Both suspects are being arraigned today.

Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School students shared their time and talents to create stuffed bears and books to distribute to the family services division of the New Bedford Police Department Wednesday, April 27, through the annual Books and Bears program.

Students in Media Technology, Fashion Design, and Early Childhood Education design and make stuffed bears and create books with related stories. These bears and books are distributed to children in crisis, to bring them comfort in a difficult time in their lives.

The books and bears were presented Wednesday to members of the New Bedford Police Department’s family services unit.

Books and Bears is a community service project with the New Bedford Police Department that began more than 15 years ago.

Instructor Deb Brightman told the group that gathered to present the bears that “this project has been such a rewarding project over the years and has allowed students and staff in various programs to work together for the good of kids in need.”

Sgt. Josh Fernandes presented certificates of appreciation for all participants. “All of you should be very proud of yourselves,” he said. “This is something the children will remember and treasure for years to come, and maybe pass on to their grandchildren. You’ve done something that matters.”

Sgt. Pamela Melo thanked the students for their efforts and told them that research has shown that hugging a bear elevates the mood and makes people feel better, which is especially important for children in crisis.

“These bears will bring comfort for children who need it,” she said.

It’s a scary time in America as people seem to care more about their political party than their country. There were plenty of times when Americans forgot about political parties and put their country first. World War II and the weeks after the attacks on 9-11 come to mind. Today, we are a country divided not seen since the American Civil War. We are better than this. 

Do you use social media? Read the newspapers? Listen to talk radio? If you do, then you’ve likely experienced the extreme hate Americans have for each other today. Political parties have become cults with their followers on the internet and airwaves defending their cults and leaders at all cost. These leaders not only control us through laws, they seem to control our minds as well. 

It wouldn’t be so bad if Americans simple left their hatred on the internet, but now we’ve seen violence in the streets. All protests see counter-protests and violence. Not only can it be dangerous to express your constitutional right by protesting, you can be harmed if you own a business and simply express your point of view. How much hate has Tom Brady seen for simply having a hat in his locker? How many businesses have received 1-star Yelp reviews because their owner made a political statement on his or her personal Facebook page?

More and more, free speech is being crushed in our universities. Once the center of free speech, universities have become a major GroupThink project with safe spaces. Only speakers that university administrators, teachers and political student groups agree with are permitted to speak. 

There is a simple solution to all the anger; remember that we are all Americans first and we are all sailing this ship together. History has shown most superpowers collapse from within, but history has shown that when Americans join forces for a common cause, anything is possible. We’ve defeated Hitler’s Germany, survived the Cold War, landed a man on the moon and created the largest, most successful economy the world has ever seen. Let’s not define ourselves as Republicans, Democrats or other political cults.

Spend less time attacking your fellow Americans, more time on improving our country and we will all benefit. We shouldn’t need another World War or 9/11 to bring us together. 

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford) has been notified by the Department of Early Education and Care that People Acting in Community Endeavors, Inc. (P.A.C.E.) has been awarded $211,700 in state grant funds to support its Head Start program.

Funding from the Massachusetts Head Start State Supplemental Grant program supports quality enhancements in Head Start programs throughout the Commonwealth. PACE Head Start in New Bedford provides programming to local children to enhance nutrition, family support services, and early education.

“PACE provides an immeasurable service to our community, and this latest round of funding will enable them to carry out the vital work they perform each and every day. We cannot thank them enough,” said Senator Montigny.

PACE Head Start is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and has been recognized by the Administration for Children and Families as a “Program of Excellence.”

The Department of Public Infrastructure will conduct a major street sweeping in the North End of the New Bedford on Wednesday, May 3 and Thursday, May 4, 2017.

Streets between Coggeshall Street north to Dean Street, and Ashley Boulevard east to Belleville Avenue, will be cleaned between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on May 3 and May 4, 2017.

Informational signs and traffic barrels will be placed in the neighborhood beginning Monday, May 1.

No parking signs will be posted on those days, and a parking ban will apply similar to snow-related parking bans. The south and west sides of the streets will be cleaned Wednesday (applied as a parking ban would), and the north and east sides of the street will be cleaned Thursday (opposite parking as a routine parking ban).

Signs will alert drivers to park on the side opposite the sweepers. Cars should park on the designated side of the street each day, and will be towed for non-compliance.

The alternate side of the street parking ban is necessary to allow Department of Public Infrastructure crews to access the full width of the roadway to ensure a thorough and complete cleaning. The Department thanks city residents in advance for their cooperation in cleaning their neighborhood streets.

Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, announced that a “Sobriety Checkpoint” will be implemented by the Massachusetts State Police on a Public Way in Bristol County from Friday, May 5, 2017 into Saturday, May 6, 2017. 

The purpose is to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public’s awareness to the need of detecting and removing those motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways.  It will be operated during varied hours, the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary, safety will be assured, and any inconveniences to motorists will be minimized with advance notice to reduce fear and anxiety.

A 33-year-old Fall River man will spend the next 12 to 15 years in state prison aftre being convicted Monday in Fall River Superior Court of a non-fatal shooting and home invasion, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Webster Farrow pleaded guilty Monday to a multiple-count indictment charging him with armed assault with intent to murder, home invasion, aggraveted assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying an illegal firearm.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane and the prison sentence was handed down by Judge Raymond P. Veary.

On July 29, 2013 at approximately 7:27 am, FRPD received a 911 call for a shooting at 916 Rodman Street. Upon arrival, officers entered the apartment but no one was located inside. Officers observed a large amount of blood in the living room area. Witnesses outside the apartment reported they heard gunshots and saw a vehicle leave with the victim. Officers determined that two friends brought the male victim to Saint Anne’s Hospital.

Multiple witnesses reported hearing two gunshots and then saw two black males run from the rear of the house.

Fall River Police Detective Raul Camara interviewed the friends of the victim’s who said that while they were inside the apartment, they heard a knock on their door. When they opened the door, a male who was armed with a gun and had a black bandana covering his face entered the apartment, yelling, “get down, get down.” The defendant then fired at the victim.

Officers secured surveillance video from a liquor store on Rodman Street, south from the shooting location. Video revealed a red Hyundai Sonata pull up at approximately 7:15 am. The front seat passenger, who is later identified as Webster Farrow, exits the car wearing a white doo-rag, with a firearm that he covers with his shirt. The female rear seat passenger is seen exiting the car with a cell phone in her hands. After a few minutes, Farrow runs back to the car, opens the door and jumps in. The car then speeds off.

Mr. Farrow was arrested later on in the investigation.

“This was a near fatal assault committed with an illegal firearm that the defendant had no business possessing,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Despite the victim’s lack of cooperation, the defendant was convicted and received a lengthy prison sentence.”