One of the best online resources for all things New Bedford is the New Bedford Facebook group. Currently with 23,700 members, you can get any question related to New Bedford answered by the people of New Bedford.

A gentleman who recently moved to the city joined the group and asked everyone for the best places to eat.

Here is what New Bedford residents had to say.

This was one of my favorite answers because they included the full spectrum of restaurants from a quick takeout window (Gary’s Best) to more of a fine dining experience (The Black Whale). Both places are great recommendations and serve different needs.

From what I’ve seen in the thread, this is the most liked comment, and there is a damn good reason why. I lived in Arizona for a few years and can confidently state that No Problemo’s street tacos will compete with any street taco in the southwest!

Here are some more great local recommendations. We recently highlighted Novo Mundo in a video that went absolutely viral on Instagram (for good reason). The charcoal roasted chicken is amazing and Carla is such a nice woman.

A lot of people were recommending Danny’s Seafood, a staple in the north end of New Bedford. I was happy to see people recommending this place, it might not get as much publicity because it’s not located downtown or on the water, but the food here is excellent!

Lastly, this comment gets bonus points for kindness and showing that not all of us New Englanders are grumpy! Also, Dillon’s is a great recommendation for a local place to grab breakfast or lunch.

There were so many answers and there was no way I could fit even half into this article! CLICK HERE to join the New Bedford group and see what’s happening in the city!

A small plane crashed in Leyden, Massachusetts on Sunday morning killing all three passengers aboard the aircraft. The FAA confirmed that three adults were aboard a twin engine Beechcraft Baron 55 airplane which crashed at roughly 11:45am.

It is reported the aircraft crashed in a clearing on the side of a wooded mountain along the Greenfield-Leyden line.

The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division are assisting with an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The area where the plane crashed is pictured below.

Google photo.

New Bedford’s Mayor Jon Mitchell has announced that the harbor barrier will be closing along with the harbor walk, cove walk, and Fort Taber. This is in preparation for another coastal storm which will bring in strong wind, heavy rain, and high seas.

Weather reports are predicting heavy rain and flooding in our area, so be careful if you plan to be out late!

Massachusetts weather: 3 maps show the dangers of Friday night’s storm https://t.co/1qI9NYMIQs

— masslivenews (@masslivenews) January 11, 2024

Elon Musk recently brought the “migrant housing” issue in Massachusetts to the attention of 38 million people on ‘X,’ formerly known as ‘Twitter.’ Musk shared a video of Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll asking Massachusetts residents to host undocumented migrants in their homes and properties.

New York City just forced kids out of their school to house illegals https://t.co/RlXHNfAvKC

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 11, 2024

They’ve run out of hotel rooms, are kicking kids out of school for illegal housing and now they want your homes too https://t.co/Cro82sGjq9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2024

Musk captioned the video stating, “New York City just forced kids out of their school to house illegals”. He is referring to the situation at James Maddison High School where students are now learning at home via zoom while the school is being used as shelter for migrants.

First group of migrants from Floyd Bennett field arrive at James Madison High School. Madison is a scan school where students get scanned upon entrance, but the migrants got to bypass that as per the NYPD. A lot of law enforcement and other agency resources have been poured into… pic.twitter.com/52kWetWRxA

— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) January 9, 2024

Elon Musk is not shy when it comes to voicing his opinion on controversial topics online. This one most definitely had ‘X’ buzzing with debate, although the idea that Massachusetts and New York are mishandling this entire situation seems to be more bipartisan than other controversial issues.

An anonymous source recently sent us a video capturing a man punching and knocking out another man in the parking lot of “The Last Round” in New Bedford. This individual told us, “I want to be anonymous but this is Servulo Pires, assaulting a man who he didn’t know in the parking lot of Last Round. He hit him without expecting it breaking multiple teeth and breaking his eye socket.”

The New Bedford Police Department was notified and released this statement regarding the video: “We have determined that this video captures an incident that took place on September 3rd of last year. Mr. SERVULO PIRES, 30, of New Bedford has been charged with Assault and Battery causing serious injury. The case remains open in New Bedford district court.”

The video of the incident is captured below:

For the first time ever, “undocumented students” will be able to apply for state need-based financial aid in the state of Massachusetts. According to a press release put out by Governor Healey,

“The MASFA is an alternative form that provides students who cannot complete the Free Application for State Financial Aid (FAFSA) due to their immigration status a way to apply for state need-based financial aid.

The application launch follows the August 2023 passage of Massachusetts’ Tuition Equity Law, which allows students who have completed at least three years of high school in Massachusetts and received a high school diploma or its equivalent in the Commonwealth to access in-state tuition and be eligible for financial aid, regardless of immigration status.”

To be eligible, Massachusetts residents must meet the following criteria:

• Was admitted to a public or private institution of higher education within the Massachusetts system of public higher education.

• Have attended at least three academic years at a high school in Massachusetts.

• Have graduated from high school in Massachusetts or have received the equivalent of a high school diploma (for example, a GED) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

• Have applied for military selective service, if eligible.

• If the individual is not a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States, that person must provide a completed the DHE Affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a citizen or legal permanent resident within 120 days after the individual becomes eligible to do so.

The Sunoco gas station located at 2942 Acushnet Avenue in the north end of New Bedford was shut down on Tuesday after its fire suppression system was set off. This created a massive cloud of chemicals to expand into the sky and cover vehicles in the surrounding area.

After speaking with a witness and a worker on the scene, there was not believed to be a fire at the gas station. An employee of Trucchi’s supermarket commented on social media stating,

“I work at trucchi’s and the cloud came right towards the store, we couldn’t even see out the windows, and the stuff got all over my car.”

The video below shows the aftermath of the chemicals at the gas station:

The Acushnet Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating the vehicle depicted.

On Sunday evening at approximately 8:17PM, the vehicle failed to stop at the S. Main/Main Street stop sign. The vehicle then struck and destroyed the St. Francis Xavier Church’s fence and sign.

The vehicle then backed out and left the scene only to pass by a short time later while an officer was taking the police report. The operator once again failed to stop and identify themselves. If you are the responsible party or if anyone recognizes this vehicle, please contact the APD (508) 998-0240.

Acushnet Police Department photo.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted a video of New Bedford native Samantha Johnson’s reaction to his WWE return on Instagram. Over 71 million views later, its safe to say the New Bedford native went viral on social media!

The Rock captioned the video, “That “IF YA SMELLL” Rock music just hits the soul differently – especially when it’s a surprise
??????

#peopleschamp ✊?”

Checkout the viral video below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

Celia Brito is known by many as a personable woman who loves fashion and owns Celia’s Boutique in downtown New Bedford. What many don’t realize is how accomplished of an entrepreneur she really is. Did you know her store is the longest-operating small business in downtown New Bedford? That doesn’t happen by accident.

She was born in Cape Verde and moved to New Bedford at the age of six. Growing up in New Bedford she always loved fashion, yet she moved to Boston and used her intelligence to climb the corporate ladder working high up in the rankings of Polaroid. Corporate America can be rough, and when Polaroid hit rough times, she was laid off from her position.

Sick of the corporate Boston rat race, Celia decided to move back to the city she loves and pursue her true passion as a fashion entrepreneur. She immediately noticed a hole in the market of New Bedford. There was a boom of successful working women in the city, yet no place locally for them to shop for high-end business attire.

She acted on her instincts and in 2003, Celia’s Boutique was born.

20 years later, her business has expanded and she is now a staple in downtown, New Bedford. I asked her what advice she would give to a teenager in New Bedford who has dreams of one day starting a successful business. To be honest, I was expecting a fluff answer along the lines of “follow your dreams” or “do what you love”.

But without hesitation, Celia began to step by step layout a strategic business plan that could get a young aspiring entrepreneur in the game and ready to open a business. She began discussing the importance of finding mentors, avoiding loans and debt, understanding culture, building a brand. It was at that moment I realized why Celia is successful.

It’s no surprise that Celia raised a daughter who is also very intelligent and plays a major role in the culture of downtown, New Bedford. Meet Tanya Alves, co-owner of Celias Boutique and the daughter of Celia Brito.

Tanya is a mother of two kids herself, so when she isn’t working at the boutique you can probably find her out spending time with her family. She is a graduate of New Bedford High School and has been assisting her mother in running the business since 2018.

Speaking with Tanya it was clear she believes community is the heartbeat of running a successful business. I’ve spoke with her twice this past month and both times I left that conversation with information on multiple new local events that I had no idea were happening, and multiple names of local artists and entrepreneurs that I should be in contact with.

If something positive is happening in New Bedford, chances are Tanya is involved or is at the very least close friends with the person in charge. Celia and Tanya are without a doubt two influential members of our community and their story will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs in New Bedford.

Check out our other Faces of New Bedford here.