“In January 2023, I inherited a jail system that had a suicide rate three times the national average. We are changing that.

In my first month on the job, I hired prison suicide expert Lindsay Hayes to review our policies and procedures. His review found a lot of problems with our policies, procedures, and infrastructure. Hayes gave me 23 specific issues to address (https://www.bcso-ma.us/Homepage_files/4-4-23_suicidereport.pdf) NOTE: The report suggests 24 recommendations, but #24 is for me to implement the first 23, which is why I say there are 23 actual recommendations.

All 23 issues have been implemented or are in progress.

One area of concern was the manner in which 7 out of 7 last inmate suicides at the Dartmouth jail were all done using bunkbeds. The pictures below show some of the work being done to make the cells more suicide resistant.

We can never fully eliminate inmate suicide. But we can reduce it. There were a lot of different ways that inmates could hang themselves and commit suicide. We are changing that.

With respect to inmate cells:

A PROBLEM: The windows had vertical bars that could be used to wrap a cord around at the base windowsill, and the inmate could then sit down and hang himself or herself.

The SOLUTION: A stainless steel reinforced mesh screen keeps the inmate from wrapping a cord around the bar and hanging themselves.

A PROBLEM: The old bunkbeds had horizontal bars, i.e. ladder and other 45° angle bars. Inmates could use those to hang themselves.

The SOLUTION: We redesigned the ladder and bed eliminating all bars that can be used to hang oneself.

The total cost in materials to retrofit each bunkbed or window is about $15 each.

Also of note… The individuals doing the welding in the cells are inmates. They are part of our expanded vocational welding program, where we are teaching them a marketable skill; part of their discharge planning is to get the inmate lined up with an employer prior to being released.”-B.C.S.O. Sheriff Paul Heroux.

All photos by Sheriff Paul Heroux:

“The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of February 26, 2024 – March 1, 2024, and they are as follows:

Eversource will be working on gas main relays and services on:

• Main relay on Acushnet Ave from Phillips Rd to Fox St
• Main relay on Central Ave from Acushnet Ave to Ashley Blvd
• Main relay on Central Ave from Church St to Brook St
• Main relay on County St from Cove St to Rivet St
• Main relay on Hicks St from Acushnet Ave to N Front St
• Main relay on Jouvette St from County St to Crapo St
• Main relay on W Rodney French Blvd from Calumet St to Bayview St

Other:

• MassDOT will be staging installation and beam end cleaning and concrete encasements at I-195 East and West bound lanes over Purchase St, County St and State St work is scheduled during the overnight hours starting and is scheduled until May 31st of 2024. Work will take place Sundays to Thursdays. Police will be on site for detour and safety setups.
• MassDOT will be closing street highway ramps overnight from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM for the following locations to conduct bridge work for the pedestrian walk across RT 18. Work will being on Sunday, February 25th – Route 18 South Bound or Purchase St ramps and Monday, February 26th – Purchase Street ramp.
• 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
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future pedestrian bridge across Route 18 impacting parking along Purchase Street between Willis Street and Pearl Street and at the Division of Career Services on Acushnet Avenue. Temporary detours may be in place pending construction activities occurring.  If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• New Bedford: Rt. 18 Overnight Closures and Detours for Pedestrian Bridge Work
• Construction continues for the new pedestrian bridge across Route 18 and Acushnet Avenue connecting to the New Bedford Station.
• Crews are currently ahead of schedule with the erecting of temporary support steel structures (falsework) over Route 18 and will begin construction of the temporary bridge deck next week. The falsework and deck will be used to support the placement and construction of the new permanent bridge steel.
• The following is an update to the schedule of overnight closures (subject to change) of Route 18 and adjacent roads. Signage and police details will be in place to direct traffic. Additional overnight closures may be added Thursday, February 29, as necessary, to complete this work.
• Sunday Night, February 25 – Acushnet Avenue: traffic will be diverted to Herman Melville Boulevard
• Monday Night, February 26 – Route 18 Northbound at Route 6/Mill Street and Hillman Street: traffic will be diverted to Herman Melville Boulevard and Purchase Street (see map below)
• Tuesday Night, February 27 – Route 18 Southbound at Purchase Street exit: traffic will be diverted to Purchase Street (see map below)
• Wednesday Night, February 28 – Route 18 Purchase Street Ramp: Traffic will be diverted to the next Route 18 exit (Route 6 West exit onto Pleasant Street/Purchase Street)
• Location of work: •Purchase Street (between Pearl Street and Willis Street) •Near the MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center (618 Acushnet Ave) •Route 18 at the Purchase Street exit
• Dates/Hours of Work: •Weekdays, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •Nighttime work hours for falsework install, 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM
• To accommodate the construction of the west side plaza of the bridge, there will be no street parking on the east side of Purchase Street between Pearl Street and Willis Street.
 
Project: Lead Service Line Replacement Program Phase II   General Contractor: C. Naughton Corp. (Monday-Friday 7:00am -5:00pm)
• The contractor will be working Lead Service Line Replacements. Monday, the contractor will be on Bedford Street, between Palmer Street and Ryan Street. Tuesday, Brownell Street, between Ryan Street and Bedford Street then moving to Plymouth Street between Brigham Street and Palmer Street. Wednesday, Plymouth Street, between Brigham Street and Brownell Street then moving to Ryan Street between Brigham Street and Brownell Street. Thursday, Ryan Street, between Brigham Street and Palmer Street. Friday, Plymouth Street, between Brigham Street and Brownell Street then Brigham Street between Hawthorn Street and Priscilla Street. During working hours, these roads may be closed with signs posted to detour traffic around work areas. Police details will be on-site allowing access to residents only and assist with traffic management.

Project: Grape Street Collector Rehabilitation General Contractor: Green Mountain Pipeline Services Subcontractor: Duke’s Root Control (Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
• The Subcontractor is scheduled to complete the root control in the wastewater system at the north and south sides of Buttonwood Park Pond. There may be a brief lane reduction along Brownell Ave while work is being completed.

Project: Phase 4 Transmission Main Reinforcement Project   Contractor: C. Naughton Corp. (Monday-Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
• The Contractor will continue replacing a section of the existing 48-in water transmission main north of the railroad crossing at Chipaway Road in East Freetown.

Project: Shawmut Avenue and Howland Street Pumping Station Improvements Project General Contractor: WES Construction Corp. (Monday-Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
• The Contractor will continue installing the new sewer force main along Nash Road and Shawmut Avenue and Mt Pleasant Street. Lane restrictions will be in place during working hours, with one lane of alternating traffic open. Police officers will be on-site to assist with traffic management.”

At 7:00pm Thursday night a Brewster Ambulance collided head-on with a Honda Pilot carrying five people, including a child. Both vehicles were traveling on Main Street in Foxboro.

The Brewster Ambulance was transporting a 70-year-old patient of the collision. The patient, two Emergency Medical Technicians, and a 40-year-old mother in the Honda Pilot were injured. However, the most severely injured person in the accident was an elementary school age girl who was in the back seat of the Pilot. Her injuries were serious enough to require helicopter transport to Massachusetts General Hospital.

The accident is currently being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police and Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey’s Office. No charges have been filed yet. The medical consitions of all the injured has not been released.

“At 9:20pm Thursday night, the Westborough Fire Department received a 911 call reporting that a car was in a river along a residential street.

Upon arrival to 25 Maynard Street, Westborough Rescue 1 and Medic 4 discovered a severely damaged vehicle partially submerged in the Assabet River.

Residents of Maynard Street who heard the loud sound of the crash, raced to the scene and helped the sole occupant from their car. Preliminary investigation suggests that the car was traveling eastbound on Maynard Street, when for unknown reasons, lost control and went into the river.

The road was closed for approximately 45 minutes until a crane would arrive to pull the damaged vehicle from the waters.

The driver was not injured and refused medical transport. The accident is currently under investigation and the story is developing.

All photos by the Westborough Fire Department:

“BOSTON – A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for threatening a Boston doctor affiliated with the national LGBTQIA+ health education center.

Matthew Jordan Lindner, 39, of Comfort, Texas, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William G. Young to three months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lindner was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,986. In December 2023, Lindner pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communication.

In August 2022, inaccurate information spread online regarding procedures doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital were performing for gender nonconforming children. On Aug. 31, 2022, Lindner called the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center and left a threatening voicemail targeting one of the Center’s affiliated doctors. In that voicemail, Lindner said: “You sick motherf*****s, you’re all gonna burn. There’s a group of people on their way to handle [victim]. You signed your own warrant, lady. Castrating our children. You’ve woken up enough people. And upset enough of us. And you signed your own ticket. Sleep well, you f****** c***.”

“This office will aggressively investigate and prosecute acts of hate and intimidation. Threatening a medical doctor providing essential care to children is deplorable. No one in this country should live in fear for their safety because of their identity, gender, race, religion or beliefs. Full stop.” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We urge the public to call their local police or the FBI if they are ever threatened with physical harm the way the doctor in this case was simply for doing his or her job.”

“Imagine the terror of having your life threatened for just doing your job. Matthew Lindner accosted a physician for doing exactly that, and in doing so instilled unnecessary fear in the medical community,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior like this has no place here, and today’s sentence demonstrates that we won’t stand for criminals terrorizing innocent people. Nobody should have to fear becoming the target of vitriol-fueled violence.”

After leaving the threatening voicemail, Lindner continued to try to contact the victim. To that end, Lindner called the victim’s former medical practice and a university where the victim was a faculty member.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and K. Nathaniel Yeager of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.

“NEW BEDFORD – Police have arrested one male and are charging another after a dispute at a south-end automotive shop.

On Friday, February 16th, police responded to 1593 Cove Rd. regarding shots fired. Upon arrival, patrol officers learned that an argument over a civil matter had escalated into a physical confrontation. The owner of the shop, THOMAS VINAGRE, 39, got into a physical confrontation with Mr. DALLAS CHACE, 24. During the struggle, CHACE produced a firearm that discharged twice as the men grappled. Fortunately, nobody was struck, and a customer immediately called for police assistance.

Narcotics detectives Emily Pacheco and Matthew Sylvia were the first to arrive on the scene and successfully separated the two men. The firearm was secured, and CHACE was found to be duly licensed to carry it He was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm and two counts of attempt to commit assault and battery by firearm. The firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic, was seized.

A charge has also been requested on VINAGRE for assault and battery on CHACE.

If you have any information concerning crime, you can remain anonymous. Call 508-99-CRIME, or visit our website and leave tips at https://www.newbedfordpd.com/report/.”-New Bedford Police Department.

“Two New Bedford men were convicted last Friday afternoon by a jury of their peers after a week-long trial in Fall River Superior Court of raping and molesting a 9-year-old girl in their Nye Street apartment, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Nicholas Pacheco, 41, was convicted by the jury of two counts of Aggravated Rape and Abuse of a Child with at Least a Five Year Age Difference. Pacheco’s housemate, Braulio Castro, 37, was convicted by the jury of Forcible Rape of a Child.

Both defendants were ordered held in jail throughout the holiday weekend and were sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Thomas McGuire. Pacheco was sentenced to serve 10 to 15 years in state prison, while Castro was sentenced to serve eight to 12 years in prison. Both men are not citizens of the United States and will likely be deported upon completion of their state prison sentences.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Caleb Weiner.

During the trial, evidence showed that the girl, who is now a teenager, was raped twice by Pacheco, who she considered to be her father, and once by Castro. All three incidents occurred when the girl was 9 and 10 years old between February of 2015 and February of 2017.

The young victim testified during the trial about each instance of rape and told the jury she delayed disclosure of the rapes and molestations because she truly believed as a young child that she was just a toy and was supposed to be used for sex in this way. Sadly, the young victim had also been molested by two other men during her childhood.

It was the final abuse in 2021 by a New Bedford man named Mario Suy that finally compelled the victim to tell forensic investigators from the Bristol County Children’s Advocacy Center about all the abuse she had suffered. Mr. Suy, who is now 27-years-old, was convicted after a trial last April in New Bedford District Court of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and was sentenced to the county jail in addition to a lengthy probation stint.

The first individual alleged to have sexually assaulted the child was her great-uncle, Mario Diaz, who was indicted for rape of a child by a grand jury, but was deported prior to a trial. The girl was seven-years-old when the first sexual abuse occurred.

“Sadly both defendants took advantage of their access to this young victim and sexually assaulted her. I want to thank the jury for holding both defendants accountable for this despicable conduct,” District Attorney Quinn said. “I commend the victim’s courage and fortitude in coming forward and persevering through these very difficult circumstances. I hope she can move forward with her life. The state prison sentences imposed by the court were appropriate.”-Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III’s Office.

The Washington Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island, has been a focal point of transportation concerns following the closure of its westbound side due to significant structural issues. To address congestion, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has announced plans to update the traffic pattern over the coming months.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti outlined the plans, which include adding a third travel lane in both directions. Currently, there are two eastbound lanes and two westbound lanes, all on the eastbound side of the bridge, which is a newer structure.

The closure of the westbound side on Dec. 11 caused substantial traffic backups on I-195 between Providence and East Providence, as well as in surrounding neighborhoods used as detours. The new traffic pattern, scheduled to begin on Feb. 26, will involve reducing two travel lanes on each side to 10 feet wide, exclusively for passenger vehicles. Trucks will be restricted to the right lane, which will be 11 feet wide.

Additionally, the speed limit will be reduced to 40 miles per hour in both directions. Westbound vehicles will cross over to the eastbound side of the highway about 3,000 feet sooner, and vehicles merging onto I-195 East from South Water Street/India Street will have to yield.

To address potential traffic incidents, tow trucks and Rhode Island State Police troopers will be stationed in the area at all times for quick response. However, inclement weather and supply chain issues could impact the projected eight-week completion timeframe for these changes.

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Recent revelations about the cost of housing migrants in Massachusetts have sparked controversy and become a focal point in the state’s political landscape, with implications for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. A recent investigation by CBS News has uncovered that Massachusetts is spending an average of $64 a day to house migrants, with vendors charging exorbitant rates for meals.

According to the CBS News report, vendors are charging $16 for breakfast, $17 for lunch, and $31 for dinner per day for each migrant they feed. The total cost to Massachusetts taxpayers for migrant housing this year is expected to be around $1 billion, a staggering figure that has raised eyebrows and ignited debate.

The controversy over high costs of migrant housing has been compounded by Governor Maura Healey’s decision to close down a recreational center in Roxbury, MA, to house migrants. This move has sparked outrage among residents and community leaders, who argue that the closure has deprived the local community of vital services.

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Governor Healey has been urging residents to house migrants for months, and now some are beginning to do so, sparking significant controversy. This grassroots effort has been highly criticized across the United States, but a few residents have begun opening up their homes to provide shelter to migrants in need.

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The issue of migrant housing and the associated costs is expected to be a major topic in the 2024 presidential election, with candidates likely to weigh in on how best to address the challenges facing Massachusetts and other states grappling with similar issues. As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the cost of housing migrants is not just a financial burden but also a deeply divisive and contentious issue that will shape the political landscape for years to come.

“As the latest members of the Massachusetts State Police’s 89th Recruit Training Troop hit the road this week, we extend a warm welcome to them and their families.

It is the Association’s honor to represent and support these dedicated individuals who have committed to selflessly serve the people of the Commonwealth. Good luck and be safe!”-State Police Association of Massachusetts.

State Police Association of Massachusetts photo.

State Police Association of Massachusetts photo.

State Police Association of Massachusetts photo.

State Police Association of Massachusetts photo.