“On Saturday, October 22, 2022, the Massachusetts Environmental Police received a request for assistance in recovering a lost firearm.

A hunter had taken a hard fall while attempting to make his way out of the woods. The fall caused the individual to become disoriented, losing his firearm and phone in the process. The hunter remained in the woods overnight and attempted to recover the lost items at daybreak. After several attempts, the hunter was unsuccessful.

MEP K9 Jett and her handler responded to the call for assistance. K9 Jett was deployed within the densely wooded area where the hunter believed the items were located. Shortly after deployment, K9 Jett alerted her handler to the location of the firearm. The Officer examined the firearm and determined it was unloaded. The K9 Team exited the woods and returned the lost items to the hunter, who was properly licensed and stamped.

K9 Jett is trained in the detection of explosive materials, such as smokeless and black powder commonly found in firearms and ammunition. K9 Jett has been serving the Commonwealth alongside her partner for over 7 years.” -Massachusetts Environmental Police.

Massachusetts Environmental Police photo.

“A 6,600-square-foot unit that will treat critically ill newborns and their mothers has received approval for use from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and is readying to receive patients at St. Luke’s Hospital, Southcoast Health officials announced this week.

The new unit includes fully integrated couplet accommodations designed and constructed to coordinate acute care for both infant and mother, among the first such models in the Commonwealth.

Dr. Jessica Slusarski, RN Sharon Souza, and RN Kim Pina. Southcoast Health photo.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony for clinical and operational staff, along with key community supporters, attendees toured the new Special Care Nursery. An addition to the recently renovated Stoico/FIRSTFED Women and Children’s Pavilion at St. Luke’s, it includes eight private bassinet rooms, featuring couplet care quarters, equipped with airborne isolation capability in cases of transmissible viruses.

In addition, multiple prep, stabilization/triage, visitor, and education spaces have been built out to create a unified and intuitive facility, making the patient journey even safer and more comprehensive.

With a new state-of-the-art infant security system installed, as well as central monitoring enabling staff to continuously track patient vital signs from three different nursing stations, Southcoast Health President & CEO Dr. Ray Kruger said the Special Care Nursery will bring immediate benefits to both patients and their care teams.

“After announcing this high-priority project earlier this year, we are proud to open it for our community in the coming weeks,” Kruger said.

The “Guess how much I love you?” room. Southcoast Health photo.

“This is a very big day for some of our very little patients, and it marks a major step forward in the already exceptional care that Southcoast’s dedicated nurses, physicians, and staff provide with skill and compassion.”

Neonatologist Dr. Jessica Slusarski is one of those providers, and said that she and the Special Care Nursery team are “incredibly proud of the level of care we are able to bring to babies and families” of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

“The Special Care Nursery is first and foremost a place where newborns receive additional medical care after delivery in preparation for going home. In our nursery, we care for babies with a myriad of conditions, most commonly prematurity, respiratory disease, infection, jaundice, hypoglycemia, heart disease, and neonatal opioid withdrawal,” Slusarski said.

“The goal of couplet care is the provision of uninterrupted care of both mother and baby together from birth to discharge. We will be able to initiate care of eligible infants in the labor room with their mother, then continue the maternal postpartum care here in the Special Care Nursery in the same room as her baby. This is such an exciting advance in care for our patients, and it is very special to be one of the first hospitals in the state offering this option,” she said, adding:

“We know that our patients’ time with us is relatively brief, and transitioning a newborn’s care from hospital to home starts at admission. We work hard to incorporate our parents and families into all aspects of patient care, from encouraging early skin-to-skin and kangaroo care to feeding to diaper changes and bathing. The Special Care Nursery environment is a crucial determinant of parental presence. We want families to feel welcome, comfortable, and empowered during their time here.”

Special Care Nursery corridor. Southcoast Health photo.

The Special Care Nursery also includes a tribute to longtime nurse Sharon Souza, according to St. Luke’s Women and Children’s Pavilion Executive Director Kim Pina, RN.

“Sharon was an RN in the Level II nursery for 42 years. She’s now a volunteer, and her commitment is an inspiration to us all,” Pina said.

“Sharon goes above and beyond for every patient, and never wants to be recognized for it. She has gifted a book to every baby’s family before they leave the hospital, encouraging parents to read to their children to help with development. I am thrilled to share that our new Special Care Nursery will include ‘Sharon’s Library,’ which will ensure that each family will be gifted a book, represented by the book cover art displayed in each bassinet room. This program, named in honor of Sharon, is made possible with books donated by Jill Fearons’ Friends of Jack Foundation.”

Along with children’s book cover art, the Special Care Nursery spaces will be decorated in renderings of animals at the Buttonwood Park Zoo.

“Every choice we have made in the design and construction of this unit was made with our patients and community in mind,” Southcoast Health Vice President of Support Services Philip Oliveira said.

“So many neighbors, supporters, and partners have come together to make it happen, and I would like to thank everyone who offered up their time and talent. Our special thanks also to Southcoast’s Derek Vieira, Robin Hodkinson, and the entire project team, as well as construction manager Consigli Construction and architects Lavallee Brensinger.”

Southcoast Health photo.

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About Southcoast Health

For more than 25 years, Southcoast Health has served communities across southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island as the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region. The not-for-profit, charitable system includes three acute care hospitals – Charlton Memorial in Fall River, St. Luke’s in New Bedford (a Level II Trauma Center), and Tobey in Wareham – as well as a network of over 700 physicians, hospitalists, and midlevel practitioners.

Southcoast Health has established seven Urgent Care Centers, two Cancer Centers, a Visiting Nurse Association, and numerous ambulatory facilities that ensure convenient access to services for 725,000 residents in 33 communities covering 900 square miles. In addition, the system partners with Acadia Healthcare to offer expanded resources at Southcoast Behavioral Health in Dartmouth.

Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. In 2021, St. Luke’s was named to Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals for the second consecutive year, while US News ranked Southcoast among the 10 best hospitals in Massachusetts, and 2nd among those in the Providence Metro area. For three straight years, Southcoast Health has earned Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work in SouthCoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards, voted on by residents and readers.

With upward of 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in southeastern Massachusetts, and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal.

More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast Health through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System.

Southcoast Hospitals Group, which includes Charlton Memorial Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital and Tobey Hospital, is a 2020 Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital.

On Tuesday, October 25 at approximately 9:50pm, New Bedford Police attempted to stop a motor vehicle on Mill Street for traffic violations.

Instead of stopping, the operator of the vehicle, ANGEL GONZALEZ, 22, homeless, fled, and lead police on a brief pursuit during which he struck another vehicle and eventually lost control, coming to a stop after striking a transformer near King Village East.

He was taken into custody and found to have a suspended license. He was also found to be in possession of Adderall tablets without a prescription.

Gonzalez was charged with Failure to Stop for Police, Failure to Stop/Yield, Reckless Operation of Motor Vehicle/Operating to Endanger, 2 counts of Leaving the Scene of Property Damage, Operation of Motor Vehicle with Suspended or Revoked License, Drug Possession Class E (Adderal), Drug/Narcotic Violation.”

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On October 20th, New Bedford Police detectives executed a search warrant at 183 Earle St., 2W.

A search of the apartment yielded approximately 2.3 grams of crack cocaine, suboxone, Adderall, packaging materials, and $600 that was seized. Among the three charges include multiple counts of Possession to Distribute Class B, Possession to Distribute Class B Subsequent Offense, and warrant arrest,

Charged were DAVID CARDOSO, 53, JENNIFER COSTA, 38 (both of 183 Earle St., #2W), and SAMANTHA SILVA, 32, of 297 Coffin Ave., #2R.

“On Saturday, April 30, 2022, the Massachusetts Environmental Police were notified of a turkey hunter who had been shot in Barre.

At approximately 5:45 a.m., the shooter stated he observed movement within the wood line and fired a single round. The shooter then heard, “you shot me,” and rushed to render first aid. The shooter then transported the victim to a local hospital. The victim was struck with 12-14 pellets of bird shot, suffering injuries to the right side of his upper torso and head.

The ensuing investigation found the shooter was hunting illegally on posted property and was subsequently charged with negligent use of a firearm while hunting resulting in personal injury and hunting on posted property; the firearm was also seized.

On Thursday, October 27, 2022, the shooter pleaded guilty to all charges. The shooter was ordered to pay a monetary fine and lost hunting privileges for five years, this loss will extend into 48 additional states next month when the Commonwealth formally joins the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. The firearm was ordered to be destroyed and the shooter’s firearms license is being reviewed.

The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is a multi-state agreement that recognizes suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in all Compact member states. The Compact was created to promote compliance with the laws, regulations, ordinances, resolutions, and administrative rules that relate to the management of wildlife resources in the respective member states. The violation of wildlife laws interferes with the management of wildlife resources and may endanger the safety of persons and property and the Compact seeks to mitigate those negative impacts.

MEP would like to thank New Braintree Police Department, Hardwick Police Department, and the District Attorney’s Office of East Brookfield District Court for the assistance with this case.” -Massachusetts Environmental Police.

“Westport Fire and Police responded to a motor vehicle crash around 3 am last night near the Fall River/Westport line.

The vehicle involved sheared a hydrant from the grid resulting in flooded roadways in the area.

The Fall River Water Department was able to make the necessary repairs, which involved flushing various hydrants along the Route 6 corridor into Westport this morning. Repairs have been made and the flushing is complete.” -Westport Fire Department.

“Suspect in Custody After BPD Officers Assigned to District A-1 Respond to Disturbance in Downtown Crossing.

At about 4:41 PM on Thursday, October 27, 2022, officers assigned to District A-1 (Downtown) responded to a call for a disturbance in the area of 8 Summer Street (Roche Brothers).

On arrival, officers were informed that the suspect, later identified as Syretta Copeland, 42, of Boston, was observed inside the store spraying aerosol cleaning products on other customers and then attempting to light that chemical on fire with a handheld lighter. The suspect was eventually placed in custody following a brief foot pursuit.

The suspect will appear in Boston Municipal Court on charges of Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Resisting Arrest, and Possession of an Incendiary Device.” -Boston Police Department.

BREAKING NEWS
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RAYNHAM — Chief James Donovan reports that missing Raynham 16-year-old Colleen Weaver has been found safe in New York City.

Weaver was first reported missing after she left her home in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 18.
At approximately 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, she was located with the assistance of the New York Police Department and the FBI.
Weaver was found through investigative means in collaboration with the Raynham Police Department and their law enforcement partners.

No further information is available at this time.

Chief Donovan would like to thank the numerous law enforcement partners, media members, residents, and well-wishers, both locally and beyond, who helped to spread the word about her disappearance.

“We are very glad to have found Colleen and that she’ll soon be reunited with her family,” Chief Donovan said. “This was the best possible outcome we could have hoped for and I want to commend the tireless efforts of our dedicated officers and our partners in the NYPD and FBI who helped to locate her. This has been a trying couple of weeks for everybody involved and I want to thank everyone who assisted in this tremendous effort.”

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of October 31, 2022 – November 4, 2022, and they are as follows:

Eversource will be working on gas main relays on:

• Phillips Rd from Holly Tree Lane to Route 140
Eversource will be milling and paving street locations:
• Phillips Ave from Riverside Ave to Oneko Lane
• Phillips Rd from Heritage Dr to Lauren Dr

Other:

• Contractor (KR Rezendes, Inc.) will continue roadway and sidewalk work at MassDOT’s Hathaway Triangle project located at the newly signalized intersection of Hathaway Rd x Nauset St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue curb and sidewalk work on County St from Purchase St to Sawyer St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue curb installation and sidewalk reconstruction along a portion of Phillips Rd from Holly Tree Ln to approximately 550’ north of Birchwood Dr.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue sidewalk work on Pricilla Street and West Street in the vicinity of St. Luke’s Hospital.
• Contractor will be working at the MassDOT project, Kings Highway.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on various streets, citywide, completing minor repairs and installations.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on sidewalk reconstruction on Union St from Sixth St to County St. Contractor will also be raising all structures within the roadway in preparation of final top course paving.
• Contractor (PA Landers) scheduled to line paint the newly resurfaced roadways of Mt. Pleasant St, Rockdale Ave, Acushnet Ave, Nash Rd, E. Rodney French Blvd and Braley Rd beginning Sunday, October 30th at 8:00pm for overnight operations.
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the city. (Church St at Carlisle St and Wamsutta St at Acushnet Ave.) If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us

UPDATE: Official statement from the New Bedford Police Department: “There were no shots fired on Pleasant St. last night. There was a foot pursuit in Temple Landing which I may have some further information on later. However, the foot pursuit was NOT precipitated by shots fired.”

At approximately, 9:00pm Wednesday, October 26th, the New Bedford Police Department responded to a reported shooting on Pleasant Street in the city’s west end.

Upon arrival, police encountered a vehicle with an unknown number of occupants that fled the scene leading New Bedford Police in a car pursuit. Once on Park Street near Temple Landing, New Bedford Police chased one suspect into a backyard, and managed to surround him. Eyewitnesses on scene reported that a physical struggle then ensued between the suspect and police officers..

During the struggle, a pistol fell from the suspect’s jacket which police recovered. The suspect, who police say they are familiar with, managed to hop a fence and escape.

New Bedford Police have not yet released details on whether someone was actually shot and what the extent of the injuries, if any, are.

This is a developing story, and we will update the story throughout the day.