The Bishop Stang Spartans (21-3) traveled to the TD Garden in Boston, MA to take on the Bedford Buccaneers (17-7) in the MIAA Division 3 State-Semi Finals.

The first half was close, and it would have had you believed the game would be a nail biter. Stang outscored Bedford by 1 point in the first quarter, and again in the second quarter, ending the half with a 28-26 lead.

In the second half, the Spartans came out of the locker room with the “havoc” chant in the background. Bishop Stang wasted no time and took complete control of the game. Their defense smoldered Bedford keeping them to 6 points in the third and 11 in the fourth.

Bishop Stang wins over Bedford 63-43, and the team moves on to the State Finals this Saturday in Springfield.

Bishop Stang – 19,9,16,19 = 63
Bedford – 18,8,6,11 = 43

Photo gallery.

There was a major house fire on 17 Nancy Street in Fairhaven Monday night around 10:30pm. The fire started in the basement while the home owner was handling propane gas. Two people suffered burns and a cat, dog and dozens of pigeons were killed. Fairhaven fire fighters spent two hours fighting the fire with two fire fighters suffered minor injuries.

Video by Carlos Pimentel Felix.

At last night’s New Bedford school committee meeting a former Keith Middle School teacher (2009-2015) talked about her resignation and the atmosphere at Keith Middle School. She stated that she left Keith Middle School because of the unsafe environment for teachers/students and because she was asked to lie to parents. Watch the video and let us know you thoughts!

Video by Carlos Pimentel Felix.

For decades, Tom Lopes was dedicated to making life in New Bedford better for all residents. As the first Cape Verdean elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Tom, who was already well known to the community for his activism, fought for the residents on the SouthCoast.

To honor his legacy, a team of students worked with Reel Serious to produce a documentary about his life. With a number of interviews from friends, families and other politicians, they tell the story about his accomplishments and the impact he made on New Bedford. The creation of the documentary was funded in part with a grant from United Way of Greater New Bedford. The documentary was first screened in October.

“My brother always used to say, If you can believe it, you can achieve it,” said Deborah Ramos, Tom Lopes’ sister. “We hope this documentary inspires residents to take pride in our community.”

United Way of Greater New Bedford will be hosting three screenings of the documentary in the South End of New Bedford for residents. As part of the documentary screenings, United Way will also be hosting an open forum to discuss the progress of their work with the Working Cities Challenge grant and to get input from South End residents on the upcoming work in their community. The event is free. Dinner and child care will be provided as well as raffles for those in attendance.

Tom Lopes: Bringing Community Together Events will take place: March 22nd 5:30- 8pm at Dennison Memorial Community Center (755 So. First St.), March 29th 5:30- 8pm at Our Lady of Assumption Church (47 So. 6th St.), and April 5th at the Cape Verdean American Veterans Hall (561 Purchase St.).

If you are interested in attending one of the events, please contact United Way at 508-994-9625 ext. 19 or email sellis@unitedwayofgnb.org.

“We hope residents in the South End take these events as opportunities to give their input and help guide our Working Cities team as we continue our work in the community,” said Allison Yates-Berg, Vice President of Community Impact and Operations at United Way. “We truly value the support and input of neighborhood residents in this process.”

In November, United Way of Greater New Bedford was one of ten cities in Massachusetts to receive a $15,000 Working Cities Challenge planning grant to improve the quality of life of residents in the South End. Later this spring, United Way and the New Bedford Team will have the opportunity to apply for a three year, implementation grant of $475,000 to continue with this work.

Taunton Police, Massachusetts State Police and Prosecutors from the Bristol County District Attorney’s office are actively investigating a fatal shooting, which occurred in the City of Taunton last night.

At around 8:30 last night, Taunton Police responded to a report of shots fired in an apartment at 103 Hart Street, Building Five. Upon arrival, police first located the occupant of the apartment waiting for them on a balcony and then found the deceased inside the apartment.

The deceased has been identified as Dominque Scott, 23, of Taunton.

According to a preliminary investigation, the occupant of the apartment, identified as 24-year-old Nicholas Hoard, opened his apartment door after hearing knocking. Once he opened the door, two masked and armed men forced themselves inside. One of the men held Mr. Hoard at gunpoint while the other rummaged through the apartment, according to the preliminary investigation. While the suspect rummaging through the apartment was out of sight, Mr. Hoard was able to disarm the suspect who was holding him in a headlock.

At this time, according to the preliminary investigation, the suspect rummaging through the apartment came back into the main area of the apartment due to the commotion of fighting and drew his firearm upon Mr. Hoard. Mr. Hoard shot the suspect, later identified as Mr. Scott, one time. The second, unidentified suspect, then fled the apartment on foot while Mr. Hoard called 911.

Mr. Hoard is continuing to be questioned by police and prosecutors, and the second home invasion suspect is being sought. Mr. Hoard does not face any criminal charges in relation to this incident at this time. The investigation remains active and ongoing, and no further information will be disseminated at this time.

Taunton Police, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to this office and Homicide Unit prosecutors are actively investigating an apparent homicide which occurred in the City of Taunton yesterday.

Taunton Police received a 911 call around 5:47 p.m. yesterday from a woman who said she came home from work to find her girlfriend deceased inside their apartment. When police responded to 9 Morton Street, they found the female victim deceased. The victim has been identified as Vanessa Courtney, 23, of 9 Morton Street, Taunton.

Further investigation determined that Ms. Courtney appears to have been stabbed or slashed to death, and the incident is being investigated as a homicide.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn, the deputy chief of the homicide unit, is coordinating the investigation.

After an investigation by Detective Paul Fonseca of the Major Crimes Unit, an arrest warrant was issued in the Sunday morning shooting on Sawyer St.

Last night at approximately 9:30pm Det. Lorenzo Gonzalez and Det. Jared Lucas of the Gang Unit found the suspect in the basement of 5 Bonneau Ct. which is next door to where the shooting took place. Detectives are still working on a motive and the firearm has yet to be recovered.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident and will be arraigned this morning in New Bedford district court;

Josiahi Matos age 20 of New Bedford is facing charges of;

• Armed Assault in a dwelling
• Assault and Battery by means of a dangerous weapon
• Unlawfully carrying a firearm
• Discharging a firearm withing 500ft. of a dwelling

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Fonseca at 508-991-6300 ext. 79507 or leave an anonymous tip at 508-961-4584

School on Wheels of Massachusetts (SOWMA) is seeking one-on-one tutors/mentors to work with children in grades K-12 in Fall River. Tutoring takes place on Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Each SOWMA tutor is matched with a student for one or two hours a week. Tutors work with students on homework and school projects. Tutoring sessions are designed to fill in the layers of learning that may be missing due to frequent moves and school absences. Each SOWMA tutor is expected to serve as a mentor and positive role model. Teens and adults aged 18 and older are needed. High school students may tutor with a parent or other adult that they know. No prior experience is required.

Every SOWMA volunteer must attend a three-hour Tutoring Training before beginning to tutor. We currently have one tutor training scheduled:

• Saturday, March 19, 9:30am-12:30pm, Fall River YMCA, 4th floor learning center, 199 North Main St., Fall River

To sign up for training, please contact Operations Director Robin Gilbert at robin@sowma.org, or 508-587-9091, X107.

Mayor Jon Mitchell has announced that the City of New Bedford has been awarded $1,575,909 in homeless assistance funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of a competitive grant competition under the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

The New Bedford Continuum of Care is administered locally by the City’s Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development (DPHCD) and the New Bedford Homeless Services Provider Network (HSPN). The competitive grant is part of an annual process and is the direct result of the City and the HSPN’s successful partnership in addressing the issue of homelessness in New Bedford.

“The award of this federal grant funding serves to highlight the important work that the Homeless Service Provider Network and the City of New Bedford are doing to address homelessness. Funding under these HUD grants is targeted to create a strong economic foundation and will help to find permanent housing solutions for homeless veterans and other New Bedford residents currently without a home “said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro awarded $1.6 billion in grants to provide funding to 6,400 local homeless housing and service programs across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. HUD indicated that “this year’s grants are being awarded in the most competitive environment HUD has experienced in the Continuum of Care grant program. To compete most effectively, communities made very challenging decisions, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on homeless populations”.

The CoC application requires city government, agencies, volunteers and the community at large to develop innovative strategies to help people experiencing homelessness. Comprehensive planning is coordinated by the City’s DPHCD and HSPN. The network coordinates the local Continuum of Care program and meets monthly with over 50 agencies dedicated to ending homelessness.

The grant funding will help to support six local programs that were included in HUD’s Tier I ranking totaling $1,575,909. The remaining Tier II projects will be announced later this spring.

Patrick Sullivan, Director of the DPHCD added, “The challenges around ending homelessness are as complex as they are far-reaching. The strategies being developed by the DPHCD and the HSPN rise to this challenge and emphasize housing as a critical piece of the solution for those experiencing homelessness right now and into the future. This funding award confirms for us that the hard work so many are doing matters, has been effective and is setting us on a clear path for ensuring everyone who needs housing will have an opportunity for housing in this community.”

The $1.5 million in HUD CoC grant funding announced will be distributed to the following agencies:

• THE CALL (Catholic Social Services) ($46,757) – “THE CALL,” a program of Catholic Social Services, is a coordinated intake and assessment system for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across all agency lines. By dialing 1-800-HOMELESS from a 508 or 774 area code, families and individuals can access services and shelter offered locally including assistance with immediate and long-term housing needs as well as access to community and mainstream resources they need to stabilize in housing. This is a streamlined process that standardizes the shelter and support system for everyone while coordinating the referral process for everyone seeking shelter, housing and other services through a single point of entry.
• HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (HMIS City of New Bedford) $ 29,524 — “HMIS” is a mandated federal system used locally to aggregate data about the extent and nature of homelessness over time; produce an unduplicated count of homeless persons; understand patterns of service use; and measure the effectiveness of homeless assistance projects and programs. Data produced through HMIS is used for multiple purposes including strategic planning, monitoring the efficacy of programs and generating federally-mandated reporting for the City.
• FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM (SEMCOA) $ 254,710—The Family Preservation Program is a permanent supportive housing program for families and households with children who have a disability and/or substance abuse disorder. The program has 16 scattered site housing units throughout the city with 46 beds of which 23 are designated as serving those considered chronically homeless.
• TRANSITION TO STABILITY (Catholic Social Services) $ 196,680 —The Transition to Stability Program is a “Rapid Re-Housing” program for families or households with children that utilize a “Housing First” approach to address homelessness—one which is considered a “best practice” by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. Besides housing placement, clients may also receive financial assistance, rental assistance and/or supportive services. The program has 10 scattered site housing units throughout the city with 26 beds of which 22 are designated for the chronically homeless.
• STEP UP (Positive Action Against Chemical Addition/PAACA) $ 272,669 —Step-Up is a permanent supportive housing program for families or households with children that helps hard to place clients with a variety of disabilities in stable housing. Clients participate in employment training programs with the eventual goal of independent living. The program has 15 scattered site housing units throughout the city with 36 beds of which 18 are designated as serving chronically homeless.
• PORTICO (Catholic Social Services) $ 577,920 — The Portico Program is a permanent supportive housing program for families or households with children focusing on helping them maximize housing stability, increase their income and achieve greater self-determination. The program has 46 scattered site housing units throughout the city with 123 beds of which 105 are designated for those experiencing chronic homelessness.
• WELCOME HOME (Steppingstone) $ 165,918— The Welcome Home Program is a permanent supportive housing program for individuals and families with a disabled head of household who has HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and chronic mental health issues. The program has 11 scattered site housing units throughout the city with 13 beds of which 7 are designated for those experiencing chronic homelessness.

For more information about the City’s efforts to address homelessness, please contact City of New Bedford’s Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development at (508) 979-1500 or visit the HSPN’s website at www.nbhspn.com.

This afternoon at approximately 1pm New Bedford police south end units were sent to the 100 block of David St. for a male that had been stabbed. Officers found the 26 year old New Bedford man in a nearby apartment with stab wounds to the upper torso and abdomen areas. It appears that he was stabbed three times. He was transported to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.

It appears that an argument ensued at the corner of Salisbury and David St. between the victim and another male. At some point the victim was stabbed.

Detectives are currently interviewing witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detectives at 508-991-6300 ext. 320 or leave an anonymous tip at 508-961-4584.

Video by Carlos Pimentel Felix.