UPDATED Tuesday, February 7 @8:14pm: While construction at the stations will be substantially complete soon, passenger service continues to start on South Coast Rail in summer 2024.

“The MBTA is committed to delivering safe and reliable South Coast Rail service. Despite the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, we have made significant progress and construction will be substantially complete by the end of this year.

We are focused on ensuring that automatic speed controls and collision-avoidance technology are thoroughly tested and properly functioning for the safety of the public and our workforce. We understand this additional time required for testing critical safety components is frustrating to riders who have been eagerly awaiting this service, but we are committed to delivering it expeditiously and safely.” — MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng.

You can see the full breakdown of the entire project with diagrams and images in a PDF, here.

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For years any mention of the MBTA having a station in New Bedford would garner doubt followed by scoffing and ridicule. “Never going to happen” was the mantra of the cynics.

They’ve been eating a lot of crow lately.

This summer several MBTA projects will be completed and open for service that will connect New Bedford, Fall River, and Taunton with Boston. The six new stations will transport passengers in East Taunton, Fall River Depot, Freetown, Middleborough, Church Street and New Bedford.

MBTA photo.

In addition to these stations, there will be two layover stations, facilities to house MBTA crews and equipment as well as store trains when not in use. These will be at Weaver’s Cove in Fall River and Wamsutta in New Bedford.

But that’s not the only MBTA project in New Bedford. A new arch pedestrian bridge that will span Route 18 is approximately halfway to completion. Construction is on Purchase Street between Pearl and Willis, near the MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center. This bridge has its east and west abutments in place, is currently working on the elevator tower and stairway, and by March will begin installation of bridge support structures.

“Church Street and New Bedford stations are on schedule for substantial completion by the end of this month.” Lisa Battiston, deputy press secretary at the MBTA.

You may have already seen test runs and emergency drills at some stations. These tests and drills will continue all the way through spring. “We will be completing full-scale drills, and dress rehearsal train operations, starting now and throughout the year, with trains traveling up to full speed (79 mph),” the MBTA said.

Outside of the stations, depots, and bridge crews will spend the coming weeks and months clearing vegetation and brush-cutting for safety and improved visibility. Work will take place between Mondays and Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition, signal testing will take place all along South Coast rail lines so keep an eye out for flaggers who will be guiding traffic through a train crossing.

“BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has been extradited from Stockholm, Sweden to face charges in connection with his alleged obstruction of an investigation into fires set at Jewish institutions in Arlington, Needham and Chelsea, Mass. in May 2019.

Alexander Giannakakis, 37, formerly of Quincy, Mass., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in 2019 for making false statements in a matter involving domestic terrorism; falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism; concealing records in a federal investigation; tampering with documents and objects; and tampering with an official proceeding.

After the indictment was returned, at the request of the United States, Giannakakis was arrested by Swedish authorities in a Stockholm suburb. The United States subsequently sought Giannakakis’ extradition from Sweden to the United States to face charges in Boston.

In connection with his arrest in Sweden, authorities learned that he unlawfully possessed a firearm and other weapons in Sweden. Giannakakis was charged and convicted of those crimes and served a sentence in Swedish prison. On Dec. 4, 2023, near the completion of that jail sentence, the Supreme Court of Sweden ruled favorably on the United States’ extradition request, and on Dec. 21, 2023, the Government of Sweden granted the request for Giannakakis’ extradition.

Giannakakis arrived at Boston’s Logan airport on Feb. 2, 2024 and will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow afternoon.

According to the indictment, in and around February 2020, Giannakakis’ younger brother became the prime suspect in an investigation into four fires set at Jewish-related institutions in the Boston area: the first during the evening of May 11, 2019 at a Chabad Center in Arlington; the second at the same location during the evening of May 16, 2019; the third at a Chabad Center in Needham; and the fourth during the evening of May 26, 2019 at Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea.

Giannakakis’ younger brother was hospitalized in a coma at the time he was identified as a suspect in February 2020. He remained in a coma until his death later that year.

According to the indictment, Giannakakis left the United States with his younger brother’s electronic devices and papers and brought them to Sweden, where he was living at the time. According to court documents, when Giannakakis returned to the U.S. in March 2020, he was questioned by investigators and made false and misleading statements. Giannakakis allegedly removed and concealed physical evidence being sought by investigators which implicated his brother. Shortly after concealing that evidence, Giannakakis departed the United States for Sweden. Giannakakis remained in Sweden until his arrest by Swedish authorities in February 2022.

The charges of making false statements in a matter involving domestic terrorism and falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact in a matter involving domestic terrorism by trick, scheme, and device each provide for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of concealing records in a federal investigation, tampering with documents and objects, and tampering with an official proceeding each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Chief Juliann Flaherty of the Arlington Police Department; Chief John Schlittler of the Needham Police Department; and Chief Keith E. Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Substantial assistance was provided by Swedish authorities including the Swedish Security Service; the National Security Unit of Sweden’s National Public Prosecution Department; and Sweden’s Ministry of Justice. The investigation is being led by the FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by the Quincy Massachusetts Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition from Sweden of Giannakakis. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and John McNeil of the Office’s National Security Unit.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”-Massachusetts Department of Justice.

“It’s been a busy week for our firefighter/paramedics. Unfortunately, one of the many calls we handled, was a suspected fatal opioid overdose.

We wanted to remind our residents that through a grant funded program, we have doses of Narcan available, free of charge and while supplies last at either fire station. Just stop in and a staff member will assist you.

All interactions are confidential and no personal information is obtained or required.”-Westport Fire Department.

Westport Fire Department photo.

“On January 27, 2024 our department held its First Annual Award and Promotion Ceremony.

Chief Andrew Murray was the speaker during the event which took place in front of a large crowd of family, friends, firefighters from local departments, and town officials.

Massachusetts Firefighter Service Awards were given to members by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission in recognition of their dedicated years of service to the community.

• Chief Andrew Murray – 20 years
• Captain David Scott – 35 years
• Captain Jordan Collyer – 25 years
• Captain Justin Dubois – 20 years,
• Dispatcher Michael Behan – 35 years
• Retired Fire Chief Ronald Scott – 40 years
• Retired Deputy Fire Chief Walter Morgado – 50 years
• Retired Lieutenant James Harlfinger – 25 years
• Retired Firefighter Steve Mills – 20 years
• Retired Firefighter Gary Bowman – 20 years

A special award was presented to Retired Deputy Fire Chief Walter Morgado for his dedicated 50+ years of service to the Mattapoisett Fire Department and the Town of Mattapoisett.

The 2024 Core Competencies Award was presented to Firefighter Drew Weaver.

The 2024 Firefighter of the Year Award was presented to Lieutenant Ross Macedo.

The Chiefs Award/Commendation was presented to the members who responded to the largest fire in Mattapoisett history, the Mattapoisett Boatyard Fire in August of 2022. Those members were:

Capt. David Scott, Capt. Jordan Collyer, Capt. Justin Dubois, Lt. Cory Silva, Lt. Ross Macedo, Lt. Tim Murray, Lt. Brett Gauvin, Lt. Brian Connelly, FF. Steve Mills, FF. Barry Lima, FF. Eric Pimentel, FF. Chapman Dickerson, FF. Marc Nadeau, FF. David Stewart, FF. Troy Durr, FF. Drew Weaver, FF. Mike Medeiros, FF. Evan Grodzki, FF. Nick Nelson, FF. Justin Blue, FF. Angelene Perry, Dispatcher Michael Behan, Dispatcher Patrick Dawson, Administrative Assistant/Dispatcher Renee Desroches.
Lastly, Lieutenant Ross Macedo was presented his Captain shield and badge, which was pinned on his uniform by his daughter Charlie and girlfriend Liz.

A special thank you to:

• Mattapoisett Select Board Member Jodi Bauer for being our guest speaker.
• Erin Scott for singing the National Anthem.
• Mattapoisett Firefighters Association for providing dinner following the ceremony.
• Ed Pepin from the Fairhaven Fire Department for being our photographer.
• Dan White and ORCTV for filming the ceremony and assisting with audio equipment.
• The Rochester Fire Department for providing station coverage during the event so our members could enjoy the evening.”-Mattapoisett Fire Rescue.

All photos by Mattapoisett Fire Rescue:

“The Westport Fire Department would like to congratulate Westport Police Officer Robert Rebello on his promotion to Deputy Police Chief.

Congratulations!”-Westport Fire Department, Massachusetts.

Westport Fire Department, Massachusetts photo.

“We regret to inform you of the untimely passing of Sgt. Albino “Al” Faria. Sgt. Faria was a founding father of the Portuguese American Police Association in New Bedford and spearheaded many efforts to assist and give back to the community via this organization.

During his tenure with PAPA, he also created an exchange program between officers in the United States and Portugal to highlight the differences in policing across the continents.

Sgt. Faria was employed by the New Bedford Police Department for many years until he ultimately retired and moved to Mexico with his wife.

Our sincerest condolences goes out to his family and all that knew him. We’ll miss you Al! ?”-Portuguese American Police Association NJ.

All photos by the Portuguese American Police Association NJ:

At 1:46am, the Fall River Police responded to a report of a person who was shot at the Holiday Inn Express Fall River North at 360 Airport Road.

First responders arrived to find a man bleeding from two gunshot wounds. The unnamed individual was conscious at the time and the wounds did not appear to be life-threatening. He was rushed to Charlton Memorial Hospital were he is currently in stable condition.

This is a developing story. We will add more details as information is confirmed.

Video by The Fall River Experience:

“Ladies and gentlemen, it was a day here in Fairhaven. The following has been released as our official statement following the events of the morning. Stay safe, see something, say something! We are here for you.

The Fairhaven Police Department reports that a 55-year-old New Bedford man was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license and additional charges on Friday.

CARLOS BRITO, AGE 55, OF NEW BEDFORD, was arrested and charged with:

• Carrying a Firearm Without a License
• Receiving Stolen Property Under $1,200
• Number Plate Violation To Conceal Identity of Vehicle
• Possession of Ammunition Without an FID
• Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device

Fairhaven Police Department photo.

On Friday, Feb. 2, at approximately 9 a.m., the Fairhaven Police Department was called to the area of Green and Cedar streets for a report of a suspicious person who was wearing rubber gloves and placing pantyhose over his head.

Officers responded and located that individual, later identified as BRITO, in a parked Honda Accord that had stolen registration plates.

An on-scene investigation located a loaded, 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat of the Accord, and zip ties, duct tape, latex gloves, plastic bags, and a pillow elsewhere in the vehicle.

BRITO, who does not have a firearms license, was arrested at the scene.

BRITO was arraigned Friday in New Bedford District Court, where he was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing that is scheduled for next week.

Fairhaven Police ask that anyone with information about this incident call detectives at 508-997-7421. These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”-Fairhaven Police Department.

“DARTMOUTH, FAIRHAVEN, FALL RIVER, LAKEVILLE, SEEKONK and WAREHAM, Mass. – Southcoast Health announced today that all six of the not-for-profit community health system’s urgent care locations have been reaccredited by the Urgent Care Association (UCA) and received the Accredited Urgent Care designation.

Accreditation is the highest level of distinction that can be earned from the Urgent Care Association and the process is extremely thorough, including site visits, patient visit observations and policy reviews. It is completed every three years to ensure that each location meets the UCA’s standards for service, safety and quality.

“Once again, we are able to demonstrate our commitment to providing high quality and comprehensive care across the South Coast region,” says Renee Clark, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Southcoast Health. “We are grateful for our outstanding urgent care team that demonstrates an unwavering commitment to our community by providing this exceptional care seven days a week.”

Southcoast Health photo.

Southcoast Health Urgent Care offers patients convenient non-emergency care and are equipped with X-ray and laboratory services. These facilities are open to the public and patients seen are not required to have a Southcoast Health primary care provider. In response to the uptick in seasonal illnesses, the Fairhaven Urgent Care recently extended its hours until 10pm, Monday through Friday, until March 12, 2024.

In addition to the reaccreditation, Southcoast Health earned special recognition for following UCA best practices, including Lab QC documentation and Inbox lab resulting process and special commendation for the Antibiotic Stewardship Program.

“These achievements exemplify our commitment to providing our patients with exceptional care and service when they need us most,” says Marc Gardner, Executive Director of Urgent Care Services. “I want to thank the urgent care providers, staff and collaborating Southcoast Health departments for their diligent preparation and attention to detail throughout this process. Each of our urgent care locations serve as an essential resource for our community. Earning this recognition would not be possible without the continued effort of our amazing clinical team.”

For added convenience, patients seeking urgent care services can wait in the comfort of their own home until it is their turn to be seen through the online check-in system. Visitors can find the closest center and its current wait time, and even save a spot in line before arriving.

Additionally, backed by the specialty services and resources of Southcoast Health, the new Book-It process allows urgent care patients to book a follow-up appointment with select specialists without a referral from a primary care provider before leaving their visit.

To learn more about Southcoast Health Urgent Care, please visit: Urgent Care MA & RI | Find Your Nearest Urgent Care | Southcoast Health.

About Southcoast Health
Founded in 1996, Southcoast Health serves 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, Massachusetts with a physician network of more than 675 providers.

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.“

“The City is hosting a public meeting to gather feedback on the proposed monument in the South End to honor veterans of the Global War on Terror.

The monument’s advisory committee and professionals from Martha Schwartz Partners, the internationally renowned design firm chosen to build the monument, will meet on Monday, Feb. 12 at the Fort Taber Community Room at 6 p.m. Preliminary design concepts for the monument will be available for review and discussion.

Mayor Jon Mitchell announced the formation of an advisory committee to oversee the monument project at a 9/11 memorial service in 2021. The advisory committee, made up of members from the Veterans Advisory Board, local artists, and members of various City departments, has recommended the West Beach jetty as the location for the monument.”-City of New Bedford.

City of New Bedford photo.

City of New Bedford photo.