“This year our Sister, Fairhaven Firefighter Maggie Rocha rode 186 miles as part of the 2023 Pan-Mass Challenge with Team Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts!

Maggie personally raised over $7,000 for cancer research and treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Maggie, we are so proud of you and all that you do for your community.

Thank you for always going above and beyond!
Your Police family ?”-Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit photo.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit photo.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit photo.

Fairhaven Police Department K9 Unit photo.

They won how much??? Is what a man might be saying to himself right now after he tipped a couple scratch tickets to the hard working bartenders at Knuckleheads Bar and Grill in New Bedford. A $5 scratch ticket he gave them ended up hitting for $10,000!

Knuckleheads posted on social media, “Congratulations To These 2, a Customer gave them 2 Scratch Tickets as a Tip, $10,000 later they are Still Smiling. Well Deserved for all Their Hard Work. Congratulations Girls.”

Tons of customers commented on social media noting that it couldn’t have happened to better people, one customer wrote “Congratulations ladies, they work hard their and have great customer service!”

One would assume that the girls will split it 50/50, but the question is…should they tip the man who tipped them? This was asked on the original Facebook post where the man who posted the photo wrote back, “trust me he was well taking care of”.

Make sure you stop by Knuckleheads at 85 MacArthur Drive in New Bedford to grab some food & drinks and congratulate the girls on the big win!

“The City of New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development and New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches are hard at work on planned improvements to Ashley Park.

After visioning sessions with neighborhood residents, landscape architect firm Crowley Cottrell developed the plan to transform this important public space in the heart of the Goulart Square neighborhood.

Pathways around and within the park are being re-worked, as well as site grading, circulation, lighting, and landscaping. New flexible multi-use spaces are being added for passive and active recreation. ???‍♀️??‍♂️

Construction work is being undertaken by P.A. Landers, Inc., with the project receiving over $1.7 million in U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of the year, with some additional plantings to come in Spring 2024. The playground, basketball courts, seating area at Bolton & Rivet, and splash pad remain available for public use at this time.
Keep an eye on our page for periodic project updates as the work continues!”-New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development.

All photos by the New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development:

25 days after Robert Aponte-Flores was murdered in front of his family at Myles Standish State Park, his suspected killer has finally been brought into custody. At approximately 3:55pm on Sunday, August 6th Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section located and arrested John Geovanni Pires Monteiro Macedo at an apartment in New Bedford.

Video by Carlos Pimental Felix:

The Plymouth Police Department posted on social media, “Awesome job by The City of New Bedford Police Department and the State Police VFAS unit”. This arrest was a widespread effort as the murder happened in Plymouth, the suspect is apparently from Brockton, and the victim is from New Bedford which is where the arrest was made.

Now that the 25-day man-hunt is over, John Geovanni Pires Monteiro Macedo will be arraigned in Plymouth District Court on one count of murder. There is unconfirmed speculation that he is also involved with another recent murder, but we have not received any valid information from officials naming him a suspect in any other cases as of August 6th.

This case is extremely active and we will be posting up-to-date information as we receive it.

“Massachusetts State Police and New Bedford Police have arrested a man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.

At just before 4:00 p.m. Saturday, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section located and arrested 20-year-old John Geovanni Pires Monteiro Macedo without incident, at an apartment in New Bedford. He is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Plymouth District Court in Plymouth on one count of Murder.

On July 12, at just before 2:45 p.m., Plymouth Police received several 911 calls for a report of a shooting at Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth and a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Upon arrival, Plymouth Police and first responders located the male victim, and he was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess- Plymouth Hospital where he was pronounced dead of his injuries. He was identified as 25-year-old Robert Aponte-Flores of New Bedford.

Plymouth Police contacted Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office to begin the investigation. Multiple witnesses on scene described that an altercation took place in a picnic area of the park between the victim and Monteiro Macedo, prior to the shooting. As a result, Massachusetts State Police sought and obtained an arrest warrant for Monteiro Macedo.”

“Shortly after midnight going into today 8/4/23, the Kingston Police Department received a call for a party that had been seriously assaulted.

The injuries were caused when the victim was beaten by multiple suspects and struck multiple times with what appeared to be a 2×4 piece of lumber. The victim was transported to the hospital with significant injuries, including what appears to be a serious head injury and several broken bones. The victim remains at the hospital at this time.

After an extensive investigation throughout the day, members of both the patrol and detective’s division were able to identify the suspects and arrest three adult males at three separate residences. One party was arrested without incident in Carver. Two other suspects who were at their respective addresses failed to answer the door for our officers and appeared to be home and evading contact with law enforcement. Subsequently, warrants were requested and granted by Plymouth District Court.

Residents of a small residential street off of Main Street may have seen several cruisers in the area as well as a combination of plain clothes and uniformed officers surrounding two nearby homes at approximately 7pm today. Officers utilized a shield and loudly announced their presence.

At the first residence, officers informed the suspect of the warrant and ordered him to open the door on several occasions. The suspect failed to do so and the door was forcibly opened by our detectives. The resident was then taken into custody without incident. Upon the forcible entry into the first residence, the other suspect then exited his home and was taken into custody without incident.

All three suspects are charged with:

• Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon on a victim 60+
• Assault and Battery resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on victim 60+
• Assault and Battery on a victim over 60+ years old
• Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon
• Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon With Serious Bodily Injury
• Assault and Battery

The suspects will be arraigned on Monday morning at Plymouth District Court and are assumed innocent until proven guilty.”-Kingston Massachusetts Police Department.

“Amtrak announced today the launch of its latest connecting bus service, linking New Bedford and Worcester to Providence Station. Customers can connect to Amtrak trains at Providence Station serving the Northeast Corridor, including Boston, New Haven, New York and more, as well as more than 500 destinations nationwide.

“Amtrak’s latest connecting bus service will bring a brand-new link from New Bedford and close an existing gap in Worcester with convenient, timed connections between trains and buses to Providence and our national network,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning Dennis Newman. “Customers can enjoy a comfortable journey from start to finish knowing Amtrak will get them to their final destination with ease.”

Schedules are optimized for connections on both weekdays and weekends, with a dedicated connecting bus available in the morning, afternoon and evening. All buses are ADA accessible and have modern amenities including electrical outlets, Wi-Fi and comfortable reclining seating. The Providence to New Bedford route will also include an intermediate stop in Fall River. Tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. Service will be operated by DATTCO under an agreement with Amtrak.

“DATTCO is pleased to have been selected for the launch of this important new regional service being introduced by Amtrak,” stated Dennis Lyons, Vice President of DATTCO’s Coach & Tour Group. “As a long-time bus partner of Amtrak in New England, we look forward to putting our more than 20 years of experience together to work in delivering connecting bus service between Central and South Coastal Massachusetts and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.”

Amtrak connecting bus services make coordinated connections with trains and enable passengers from cities without rail stations to connect with the national network. Amtrak has produced a short video about how simple it is to use the service.

Now until October 9, Providence customers can also take advantage of the station’s connecting service with RIDOT and the Seastreak Ferry.”-AMTRAK.

“At 5:23pm, on Thursday, fire companies along with Command Unit 2 responded to Route 140 south between Route 195 and Kempton Street for a motor vehicle fire.

When crews arrived on scene, they reported a utility body truck with fire extending from one of the cabinets. The fire involved multiple lithium-ion batteries and was extinguished with one hose line.

The Department’s Special Hazards trailer was transported to the scene. Firefighters removed the burned batteries and placed them in metal disposal containers and overpacked them with CellBlockEX. They were transported to an appropriate disposal facility. Hazardous Materials Coordinator FF Travis Rebello assisted crews from Engine 1 & Ladder 1 with the battery removal.

The NBFD Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire.

At 6:52pm, a 911 call was received by the third floor tenant of 66 Durfee Street reporting smoke extending from a window on the second floor of this three-family dwelling. The tenant was able to exit the building prior to our arrival. Engine 7 reported a room and contents fire in a second floor bedroom and extinguished the fire with one hose line. They also rescued one cat and Ladder 4 rescued a dog from the second floor apartment.

The American Red Cross is assisting four adults who were displaced. The home was equipped with a working smoke alarm system. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the NBFD Fire Investigation Unit and is not considered malicious. No civilians or firefighters were injured.”-New Bedford Fire Department.

All photos by the New Bedford Fire Department:

“The Massachusetts State Police and Waltham Police continue to investigate an assault that took place along the Riverwalk on the night of Sunday, July 30, 2023.

Today State Police and Waltham Police are releasing a police artist’s sketch of the assailant in the hope that a member of the public may recognize the suspect and contact us.

The assailant is believed to be a Hispanic male, approximately in his late 20s or his 30s, and approximately 5’7”. He was wearing a baseball cap at the time of the assault.

The assault occurred in the area of Newton and Farwell Streets at approximately 8:45 PM on Sunday, July 30. The female victim, a young adult, heard footsteps behind her and then was grabbed from behind by the suspect, who tried to put his hand over her mouth.

The victim was able to scream and struggled to get free. The assailant then let go of her and ran off. The woman turned and saw the assailant fleeing. Units from Waltham Police and State Police responded and searched the area but were not able to locate the suspect.

Anyone who recognizes this suspect or has any information about the assault is urged to call Massachusetts State Police Troop H Detectives at 617-740-7544, the Waltham Police Department at 781-314-3600, or simply call 911.

We urge the public to be of their surroundings and the presence of other people around them when walking in any public space. People should carry a cell phone, don’t wear headphones, and may also consider carrying pepper spray. If you see anything our anyone suspicious call 911immediately. If you are assaulted, if at all possible scream, make noise, and fight back.

We thank the Lincoln Police Department for their assistance in creating the sketch.”-Massachusetts State Police.

br>Massachusetts State Police photo.

“An asteroid measuring 2 to 5 kilometers in diameter was recently named after Dr. Thomas W. French, the founding leader and former Assistant Director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). Unlike comets, which are usually named after their discoverers, asteroids are named for mythological figures and geographical places—or for renowned scientists, explorers, poets, composers, novelists, and other prominent figures.

The Paris-based International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially named minor planet 1991 PN2 as “(20010) Tomfrench”. The IAU’s 15-member Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN) is the sole scientific organization with the authority to assign names to small solar system bodies like asteroids, comets, and satellites of minor planets.

Imelda B. Joson and Edwin L. Aguirre, both former editors of Sky & Telescope magazine, have known Dr. French for 16 years and proposed the naming to the IAU. The couple first met French in 2007 in Lowell, where they volunteered monitoring peregrine falcons.

“This is a completely unexpected and humbling honor,” says Dr. French. “I hope that recognizing me with this honor is a validation of how important it is for all of us to help conserve the health and natural diversity of our world.”

The naming of the asteroid recognizes Dr. French’s contributions to wildlife restoration, protection, and conservation. The citation, which was published in the IAU’s WGSBN Bulletin on July 3, 2023 reads:

Thomas W. French (b. 1950), a biologist and former assistant director of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, led the successful reintroduction of peregrine falcons and bald eagles in Massachusetts after their native populations were wiped out due to extensive use of the insecticide DDT from the 1940s to 1972.

“We are so happy that the international astronomical community has recognized Tom’s contributions to advancing our knowledge of the natural world as well as informing the public on the importance of preserving our planet’s biodiversity,” says Aguirre.

“Tom is a true gentleman scientist, and his experience, passion, dedication, knowledge and professionalism are exceptional,” added Joson. “We’re glad to know that a huge chunk of real estate bearing Tom’s name is now floating out there in space!”

Asteroids are small, rocky bodies left over from the birth of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. According to the WGSBN Bulletin, asteroid (20010) Tomfrench was discovered on August 2, 1991, by the European Southern Observatory in La Silla, Chile. Asteroid (20010) Tomfrench takes 3.9 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. It is currently about 480 million kilometers from Earth, shining very dimly in the constellation Taurus. One would need a fairly large telescope and sensitive CCD camera to record its faint, starlike image.

During his career with MassWildlife, Dr. French oversaw field research, habitat restoration and management, rare species restoration, permitting the possession of wildlife for research and education, data management, and regulatory reviews of proposed projects under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. He has published 78 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals, given hundreds of lectures to universities, state agencies, ornithological societies, and conferences, and received numerous professional awards.”-Mass.gov.