Early this morning (Oct 2nd) at approximately 02:55 am, New Bedford police were dispatched to 51 Tallman Street on a possible shooting.
A 25-year old New Bedford man was shot multiple times and was transported to St. Luke’s hospital by a private vehicle. The victim was later transported to Rhode Island Hospital where he underwent surgery for his gun shot wounds. He is in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
On Saturday, October 1st, at approximately 11:00 pm, the 7 Eleven store located at 1499 Acushnet Avenue was robbed by an unarmed man.
The female clerk claimed a white male approximately 6′ tall, medium build, no facial hair, wearing dark blue hat and light blue jeans demanded money. No weapon was shown and the clerk was not injured. The suspect fled on foot east on Coffin Avenue with an undetermined amount of cash.
Detectives are viewing video from surveillance cameras. Anyone with information is urged to contact New Bedford detectives at 508-C-RIME (2-7463).
Meet John Thomas, 48 year-old owner and director of Thomas Consultants which manages and oversees multiple recovery homes in New Bedford and Fall River, conducts interventions, and provides recovery coaching.
John grew up in a great home with a single mother. As an only child, he spent a lot of time out of the house with friends. Diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, John was prescribed with Ritalin and quickly learned that he could abuse the medication. He would act out and seek attention, attempting to fill the void of not having his father around. When he didn’t want to deal with being reprimanded for his actions, he would double his dose of Ritalin to enter a drug induced state.
As he got older his drug abuse progressed – he went from smoking to drinking and from drinking to harder drugs like cocaine and opiates. He managed to control this abuse while finishing his degree at Mount Ida in Boston where he received his Associates Degree in Funeral Service and Embalming. At that time, he was living in Brockton and working at funeral home in Dorchester during the day and going out and partying all night.
This lifestyle lasted for a while until he and his future wife decided they needed to move back to New Bedford. They bought a house and tried to act like everything was fine. John and his wife knew that his addiction had gotten much worse, which caused him to move out.
Bouncing around and being homeless brought him to a very low place in life, so low that John thought about killing himself. At that point he was living in a family friend’s room. He looked up and saw the reading of Footsteps, that was always hanging in his grandmothers house, and at that point fell to his knees and surrendered his life.
It was a long road to recovery, but after a few years John had the opportunity open a recovery home with a partner. Eventually taking over the home, John has made it his life’s passion to help those who are in similar positions he once found himself. Now reunited with his wife, he has 4 recovery homes called Recovery Commons where he strives to help those struggling with drug addiction.
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 Zeiterion Performing Arts Center wants to get you in the mood for Halloween with four movies during the annual Spooktacular Saturday, on October 29. The day begins at 1:00 p.m. with a double-feature of family-friendly seasonal favorite movies, the animated “ParaNorman” and “Beetlejuice,” continues at 6:30 p.m. with the silent classic “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” along with live accompaniment on the 1920 Wurlitzer organ, and concludes with the cult favorite “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 9:30 p.m. Tickets range from $7.50 to $15 and are available at www.zeiterion.org, 508-994-2900 or at the Zeiterion box office, 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford.
Kicking off the Spookathon Saturday is “ParaNorman,” the animated tale about a misunderstood boy who takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse, featuring the voices of Anna Kendrick and Casey Affleck. It’s followed by “Beetlejuice,” starring Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist” contracted by a recently deceased couple played by Alec Baldwin and Wareham-native Geena Davis, in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house. “ParaNorman” starts at 1:00 p.m. and “Beetlejuice” at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 to see both movies in the double-feature.
The Z’s famed Wurlitzer organ will provide the soundtrack to a great American horror film, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Organist Bernie Anderson plays the suspenseful score as the silent movie unfolds on screen, telling the story of the benevolent Dr. Jekyll (John Barrymore) as he explores the other side of his personality with an enlightening concoction. Experience the classic story in a unique way and find out if Dr. Jekyll will be able to control his evil alter ego. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” begins at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $7.50.
Live actors provide a simultaneous shadowcast of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as the tale of a young couple stranded at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-N-Furter unfolds on screen behind them. The 1975 movie starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon holds a unique place in film history. The cult classic comes to life, with heavy audience participation. The Rocky Horror Picture Show begins at begins at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $15. R-rated.
Tickets for The Z’s Spooktacular Saturday are available at www.zeiterion.org, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA. Zeiterion Box Office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and two hours before each performance.
The Buttonwood Park Zoo and Zoological Society launches a monthly Wildlife Education Series. Discussions will cover a wide range of topics pertaining to Biology, Ecology, Marine Biology, Animal Behavior, and Veterinary, Animal, and Conservation Sciences. Events will be held in the evening at the Wildlife Education Center in the Zoo. The format, time and dates of the seminars will vary based on the topic and speaker, from lecture to problem based learning, and will be geared to inquisitive individuals who are eager to learn and ask questions. Tickets are: $8 Members; $10 Non-Members and $5 Students; they are available at www.bpzoo.org.
Series Launch: October 5, 2016 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM: “Awareness Inspires Conservation: White Sharks in the North Atlantic”
Join Cynthia Wigren, Executive Director and Co-founder of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) as she presents “Awareness Inspires Conservation: White Sharks in the North Atlantic.” This presentation provides information on AWSC and the work being done right off our coast.
Cynthia holds a BS in Wildlife Management from University of New Hampshire and MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Cynthia spent twelve years working for online trading companies in the energy industry, with a focus on project management, strategic planning, and sales. Cynthia is an avid traveler and a scuba diver with a deep appreciation for wildlife on land and sea. Her underwater experiences with whale sharks, great hammerheads, nurse sharks, and great white sharks, led her to leave the corporate world and establish Atlantic White Shark Conservancy to support shark research and education.
A portion of the fee will be given back to the applicable charitable organization surrounding each seminar. Light refreshments will be served.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn announced today that a Fall River Superior Court jury today convicted Jonathan Keith Niemic of First Degree Murder connected to the October 2010 stabbing homicide of 34-year-old Michael Correia in New Bedford.
After a nine-day trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours over the course of two days before returning its guilty verdict today around 10:45 a.m. The jury found the defendant guilty on both deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity/cruelty theories.
Mr. Niemic, 28, of Fairhaven and New Bedford, was immediately sentenced by Judge Rene Dupuis to serve life in prison with no possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney William McCauley and Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Purcell.
The stabbing of Mr. Correia, a Fairhaven resident, occurred outside an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting near the Trinity Church Soup Kitchen on Purchase Street on October 20, 2010.
The defendant had been previously convicted of this murder in 2012, but the conviction was overturned by the Supreme Judicial Court last year. The SJC, in its 2015 ruling, said the trial judge during the 2012 trial did not properly instruct the jury about the elements needed to prove first degree murder. The SJC also said the former prosecutor made improper arguments to the jury during the 2012 trial.
”This was a very brutal killing, especially with the victim dying in his father’s presence. The defendant had just been released from jail and without provocation, assaulted the victim and stabbed him repeatedly in front of a number horrified people,” said District Attorney Quinn. ‘A I’d like to thank the jury for their attention to this matter and for returning a guilty verdict based on both theories of first degree murder, which was certainly supported by the evidence. I also want to thank the witnesses and the victim’s family for their perseverance and patience during two trials.”
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that a 23-year-old Fall River man who brutally stabbed his live-in girlfriend last year was convicted in Fall River Superior Court and sentenced to serve nine to 12 years in state prison.
Eric Rivera pleaded guilty to charges of armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, intimidation of a witness and strangulation.
During his plea hearing, First Assistant District Attorney Karen O’Sullivan argued that based on the grisly nature of the assault the defendant should serve 10 to 15 years in state prison, to be followed by five years of supervised probation. The defendant, however, requested a five year state prison sentence.
Judge Raffi Yessayan, after hearing arguments from both sides, handed down a nine to 12 year state prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised probation upon his release from prison. Conditions of probation are: abstain from drugs/ alcohol; random testing, maintain mental health treatment, take prescribed medications and stay away from the victim.
On March 31, 2015, the victim, a 23-year-old female, noticed money missing from her bank account. While on the phone with her banking institution, the defendant ran downstairs at their Sunset Hill Fall River home to obtain an 8 inch knife.
The defendant first put his arm around her neck, causing her to lose consciousness and then stabbed her multiple times in the abdomen, throat and elsewhere. After stabbing her, the defendant called 911 and when police arrived, he asked them to kill him.
The victim was brought to Rhode Island Hospital, where she underwent surgery and received hundreds of staples to close her wounds.
”This is a brutal case of domestic violence. The victim was lucky to be alive,” said District Attorney Quinn. ”Because of this outrageous and violent behavior, this defendant must be locked up for a very long time. I hope this sentence adequately protects the victim and the public.”
The October edition of Good Morning SouthCoast! will focus on the opioid epidemic the community is currently facing. A panel of professionals and experts who have worked closely with the prevention and treatment of opioid abuse will interact with attendees and inform the audience as to how opioids are effecting both the community and businesses within the community. This extremely informative and relevant Good Morning SouthCoast! will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 7:30 am at the Waypoint Event Center in Downtown New Bedford and will be moderated by New Bedford's Chief of Police, Joseph C. Cordeiro.
The panel of experts and professionals will consist of
•Dr. Craig Longo, a local emergency department physician at St. Luke's and Dr. Michael Rocha, a Cardiologist with Hawthorn Medical Associates who together co-founded the newly-formed Physicians to Prevent Opioid Abuse (PPOA). Dr. Longo, Dr. Rocha their colleagues and the PPOA have been a driving force behind bringing awareness to the opioid epidemic and the dire need to focus on alternative treatments and prevention of opioid abuse.
•Mr. Jeff Stone, the Director of Programs at the Massachusetts Health Council. Mr. Stone was the Principal Researcher on the Massachusetts Health Council Report for the Governor's Opioid Addiction Working Group, "Local Approaches to the, Opioid Overdose Epidemic: How Massachusetts Communities Are Responding Today". This report shows the effects opioid abuse has on communities throughout the state of Massachusetts.
•Ms. Valerie C. Samuels, Esquire, Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLP who delivers informative lectures and presentations on Managing Opioid Addiction in the Workplace to both local and state wide audiences. Ms. Samuels will offer information on recognizing opioid abuse at work, and how it personally, professionally and legally effects the employer and employee.
•A representative from the newly implemented Gloucester Police Volunteer ANGEL Program for Addicts. This program has proved to be successful in moving towards a proactive way to treat those addicted to opioids who are actively seeking help.
The event will bring to light new ideas, opportunities and programs that will help curve the ever growing opioid epidemic.
This popular breakfast series is a high-profile, fast-paced and educational program geared towards executives, senior managers, professionals and small business owners. Each of the programs has a business-oriented focus and features a popular speaker to present on a topic of interest to local businesses. The Good Morning SouthCoast! breakfast program is also a great way to network with other Chamber members!
The cost, which includes a buffet breakfast, is $27.50 for members, $55 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. To reserve a seat for the Good Morning SouthCoast, please contact Deven Q. Tillman, Programs & Events Manager, at the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce at 508-999- 5231, ext 26 or dtillman@newbedfordchamber.com
The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit business association based in the City of New Bedford, MA. Chartered in 1885, the Chamber serves nearly 1,000 member businesses of all sizes from virtually all industries in the ten communities of New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester, Wareham, and Westport. The Chamber supports and promotes the local business community through leadership in public advocacy, education, networking, information, and community development.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III is urging the Bristol County community to help honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October.
District Attorney Quinn announced today that all four of his district court offices and each police department in the county will be collecting used cell phones and accessories to provide to victims of domestic violence.
The cell phones and accessories do not have to be in working order. All brands and types of cell phones will be accepted. The collected phones will be sent to the Verizon Wireless Hopeline Program at the end of the month for refurbishing and potential upgrades. HopeLine will equip the phones with 3,000 anytime minutes of airtime and texting capabilities. The phones will come with Verizon Wireless Nationwide Coverage, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, 3-Way Calling, Caller ID, Basic Voice Mail and texting.
“Wireless phones and technology serve as a vital link for all of us. They’re also an especially safe and reliable way for domestic violence victims and survivors to reach emergency or support services in times of crisis and stay connected with employers, family and friends,” said District Attorney Quinn. “We provide these phones to victims we are working with to assist them in continuing to break the cycle of violence in their homes. I urge all Bristol County residents to assist victims of domestic violence this month by dropping off their old, unwanted cell phones and accessories.”
The cell phones can be dropped off at any Bristol County Police Department or they can be brought to any of our district court offices, located in Attleboro, Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.
District Attorney Quinn would also like to help promote a number of different events and commemoration ceremonies being held throughout the county in October.
Other events across the county:
On October 3rd, the City of Fall River will hold its annual White Ribbon event at 3 pm at Government Center. The White Ribbon Campaign is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. Starting in 1991, the Campaign asked men to wear white ribbons as a pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls. Since then the White Ribbon has spread to over 60 countries around the world.
The White Ribbon Campaign continues to offer a forum for men to speak out against violence against women. For too long, only women’s voices were heard challenging violence against women but the truth is men’s violence against women will not change until men decide to work to end it. Through the campaign, men have the opportunity to create change by no longer remaining silent and becoming active supporters in this effort.
On October 6th at 7 p.m., a Domestic Violence Awareness proclamation and tree lighting will take place at New Bedford City Hall. The tree will be lit each night for the remainder of the month to support and honor domestic violence victims and their families.
On October 20th, New Hope will be holding a candlelight vigil at Wheaton College in Norton.
On October 25th at 6 pm, a candlelight vigil will be held at City Hall in New Bedford. The vigil will be followed by a march to the Unitarian Church where a program to remember victims of domestic violence will be held.
The City of New Bedford – Department of Public Infrastructure
New Bedford / Fairhaven Bridge:
•Please be aware of detours and traffic delays, follow signs posted.
Acushnet Ave & Wamsutta St Railroad Bridge:
•Contractor will be working on miscellaneous items throughout the project.
•The roadway closure at Acushnet Ave & Wamsutta will remain closed. Please follow detour signs.
Other:
•MASSDOT will be performing bridge repairs at Phillips Rd. over the RT 140 location.
•MASSDOT will be performing bridge repairs at County St and Purchase St over the I-195 East Bound.
•The Contractor is scheduled to complete final trench paving at various Intersections along Ashley Blvd between Tarklin Hill Rd and Deane St.
•Contractor will be building the Cove Walk between West Rodney French Blvd. and Cove Rd.
•Contractor will be working on miscellaneous items on Tacoma St from Wildwood Rd. Westerly to the end.
•Contractor will be installing cement concrete sidewalks on Maxfield St from Liberty St. to Lindsey St.
•Contractor will be building an extension to the Multi use path on West Rodney French Blvd, between Hazelwood Park and Hurricane Barrier gate.
•Contactor will be micro surfacing Plainville Rd between Tarklin Hill Rd and the Dartmouth Town line.
•Contractor will be excavating and installing hot mix asphalt on Turner St. between Durfee St and Mount Vernon St.
•Hydrant flushing on dead ends in the city. This may cause a temporary loss of water pressure.