“At approximately 1:45 a.m. Saturday Trooper Matt Baird of the Massachusetts State Police K9 Unit learned that Palmer Police were searching for two girls, ages 13 and 14, who had been missing since 11 p.m.

Trooper Baird responded to the area with his partner Caber, and after obtaining an object with the girls’ scent on it, deployed the dog behind the family’s house. The search area had been heavily crossed over by family members searching for the girls, which would make the track more difficult for a dog.

Caber pulled around the house to the street, working northward. After getting no results Trooper Baird and Caber turned and worked back on the street in a southward direction. After passing the family Caber assumed a tracking posture and began pulling up the street. Soon, Caber pulled across street to a small cliff. A possum ran out in front of the dog; Caber ignored the possum and continued tracking onto a trail.

Trooper Baird and Caber continued to track onto a second trail, and the dog began to show increased intensity. Caber pulled through thick mountain laurel and displayed a proximity alert. A few feet later Trooper Baird saw the two girls just ahead, crouched beside a tree. The searchers walked the girls out of the woods and returned them to their home.”

This past weekend, a male booked a flight at Logan Airport, missed the flight, then booked a second flight the same day.

The destination to which he was attempting to fly is known as a source area for illegal narcotics. As the passenger went through a TSA checkpoint he was questioned about a large quantity of US currency he was carrying, and stated that the amount was $1,500.

When Massachusetts State Police Troopers from Troop F questioned the passenger subsequently, he claimed he was carrying $40,000 to $50,000 cash. The passenger was then questioned by MSP detectives and reported the amount he was carrying to be $80,000-$85,000. MSP K9 Duke, who is trained to detect the odor of narcotics, showed a strong alert to the man’s belongings. A subsequent final count of the cash the man was carrying was $138,980.

Based on the totality of the circumstances, the money was help pending further investigation. The would-be passenger refused to sign a receipt for the secured currency and left the building, walking away from the money. The money will be subject to forfeiture proceedings.

“On the evening of Saturday, May 23, 2020, Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers conducted a marked patrol along the Mystic River in Everett.

Officers encountered numerous violations by individuals fishing from shore and by kayak, to include over the limit possession and minimum size violations.

Additionally, an individual threw his catch into the water after an Officer approached and instructed him not to do so. The individual was given a criminal summons to appear in Malden District Court for failure to display catch, possession of river herring, and use of other than circle hook.

All others were issued nearly $1,900 in citations. The fishing gear utilized in the violations and the catch was seized. The seized catch was properly stored overnight and donated to the Pine Street Inn, a homeless service shelter in Boston.

Multiple federal agencies are reporting an increase in fraudulent unemployment claims exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically of state and federal government employees.

Within the UMass system, there have been several cases reported where claim requests have been submitted to the Department of Unemployment Assistance allegedly by our employees. Some of you may assume that the University filed this on your behalf due to an upcoming unpaid furlough or layoff. However, the University is not able to file on your behalf and therefore we suspect that an unknown party or parties is filing these fraudulent claims in an attempt to divert unemployment benefits.

Some of the information submitted on behalf of the employees may contain accurate information about the person reporting to be unemployed, including full name, address, previous unemployment, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, and possibly Driver’s License number. However, other information is false such as the email address, direct deposit for payments and the number of dependents.

If you receive a letter or other notice from the Department of Unemployment Assistance, via U.S mail or online, and you did not file a claim please contact the following as soon as possible:

Nancy Holsworth, nholsworth@umassd.edu,
Office of Human Resources

Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance by email at DUA-verify@mass.gov and by phone (877) 626-6800

Lastly, if you receive a letter which contains your social security number, please also visit the Federal Trade Commission website, on how to protect your personal information, including a review of different monitoring options.

“On May 22 the NBPD honored rookie Officer Tyler White with its prestigious Life Saving Award for acting selflessly and with great courage to save the life of another.

Early on the morning of May 1, Officer White responded to a single motor vehicle accident on Turner St. A vehicle struck a tree and was fully engulfed in flames and covered in heavy smoke.

Without hesitation and regard for his own safety, Officer White ran to the burning car and after several attempts was able to remove the driver, who suffered serious lower body injuries from being trapped under the dashboard.”

The 98-bed facility was constructed to guard the region against a spring surge.

The Southcoast Health COVID-19 surge hospital located in the Tripp Athletic Center at UMass Dartmouth has closed. The hospital was built in partnership with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to safeguard the capacity of the region’s hospitals during the COVID-19 spring surge. No patients were admitted to the hospital.

Southcoast Health and MEMA are currently removing all medical equipment from the site and the entire facility will be professionally cleaned. The cleaning process is expected to finish on June 1, 2020.

On Wednesday, May 27, 7pm tune in on the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra website or on Facebook for a LIVE STREAM of Bach-Talk with Talk-Bach with NBSO concertmaster Jesse Holstein.

The first known edition of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin dates from 1720 while he was employed at the court of Anhalt-Cothen in Germany. These works greatly expanded the musical, technical, and harmonic possibilities of the violin, which was largely used as a singularly melodic instrument up to that point. With these works, Bach revolutionized both solo violin music and violin playing beyond measure.

Please join Jesse for a deep-dive into their genesis and history through the lens of the final Partita in E-major. (He might even do some very bad baroque dance moves to illustrate the rhythm of the movements. Please don’t let that be a deterrent!)

This Bach-Talk will include a “Talk-Bach” where you can type in questions and comments.
You have two options to view this live stream. The live videos will not appear until very close to 7pm, and it is possible that the performance may start a bit late.

Option 1: If you have a Facebook account, go to the NBSO Facebook Live Videos page where you will see current and past live videos. Click on “Bach-Talk with Talk-Bach” to open the post so that you can comment and see others’ comments.

Option 2: Go to our website and look for the Events tab, then Upcoming Events, and click on “Bach-Talk with Talk-Bach” Simply scroll down to find the video.

All of our live stream performances can be viewed afterward in either place.

On Monday, May 25, at about 7:30 p.m. Wareham Police and other emergency services responded to Sandwich Road for a one car motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival officers observed a male that yelling, flailing his arms, and clenching his fists. It appeared as though he was directing his hostility towards bystanders at the scene. The male now hurled expletives at Officer Aaron Pacheco and Juvenile Detective Karl Baptiste.

The male was detained, and the officers determined that he had crossed the center line striking a curb, crossing the road again striking a guard rail, and then attempted to drive the vehicle to his residence before finally stopping. Multiple individuals told the officers that they had observed the vehicle swerving between lanes prior to the accident. One of the vehicles which had to swerve defensively to avoid a head-on collision was a Wareham Emergency Medical Services ambulance that was transporting a patient to the hospital at the time. Another witness was visibly shaken by the intensity of the accident.

After a brief investigation the officers arrested Alexx Joseph Rezendes (22), of 8 Sandy Road, Wareham. He is being charged as follows;

• Operating under the influence of liquor.
• Possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
• Marked lanes violation.
• Operating to endanger.
• Speeding.
• Failure to inspect vehicle.
• Disorderly conduct.
• Disturbing the peace.

Mr. Rezendes was not injured in the accident.

“Mayor Jon Mitchell announced that the City of New Bedford has launched MaskNB, an initiative in partnership with the American Red Cross and Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corporation, to continue to promote the widespread use of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by offering a mask to any City resident who wants one at no cost, at a series of drive-through distribution events in late May and June.

This weekend, May 30 and 31, will be the start of distribution at New Bedford High School, 230 Hathaway Boulevard, with masks available to residents from Ward 1 on Saturday and Ward 2 on Sunday.

– WARD 1: SATURDAY, MAY 30 – 10:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.
– WARD 2: SUNDAY, MAY 31 – 10:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M.

For more information, visit www.masknb.com. If you’re unsure of the Ward in which you live, visit www.wheredoivotema.com and above the polling location for your address, your Ward will be visible.”

The Baker-Polito Administration announced UMass Dartmouth as one of four institutions selected as part of a Southern New England pilot regional fisheries studies project worth $1.1 million.

Scientists at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST) have been awarded $278,592 to conduct fisheries surveys as part of the Bureau of Ocean Science Energy Management’s (BOEM’s) Regional Fisheries Studies to Guide Offshore Wind Development.

The Baker-Polito Administration, in partnership with the State of Rhode Island and the BOEM, announced grants worth $1.1 million to four institutions to support regional fisheries studies that will collect data vital to the ongoing development of the offshore wind industry in North America, according to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs press release.

“Collaborating with our state and federal partners to support these studies will help us better manage fisheries and natural habitats while positioning the offshore wind industry to stimulate economic development and deliver clean, affordable energy to Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker.

“The data collected through these regional studies will help inform offshore wind development, protect fisheries and marine wildlife, and ensure our fishing industry continues to thrive,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.

The first-in-the-nation studies will conduct important research on recreational and commercial fisheries, seabed habitat, and comparable offshore wind policies in Europe. SMAST scientists will conduct towed net surveys for larval lobster and fish neuston (small fish organisms) throughout the wind energy areas. This 18-month study, led by Professor Kevin Stokesbury, will provide baseline information on the spatial and temporal distribution of species at their earliest life stage, during which they are transported by tides and currents.

“This project is an example of how our dedicated School for Marine Science and Technology faculty, staff and students are working hand-in-hand with the fishing industry and federal and state agencies to gather critical data necessary to advance the development of offshore wind in a manner that ensures the sustainability of important fisheries resources,” said SMAST Dean Steven Lohrenz.

INSPIRE Environmental, the University of Rhode Island, and the New Bedford Port Authority have also been awarded contracts as part of the project.

The initiative is sponsored and funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Read full press release here