Council President Cliff Ponte is mounting a campaign against Paul Coogan less than two years into his mayorship.
Ben Berke
Based in New Bedford, Ben staffs our South Coast Bureau desk. He covers anything that happens in Fall River, New Bedford, and the surrounding towns, as long as it's a good story. His assignments have taken him to jails, factories, city halls, fishing vessels, bakeries, environmental cleanup sites and the homes of hundreds of interview subjects. Ben joined the bureau in February 2021 after three years in Brockton reporting for The Enterprise. His freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Providence Journal. When he's not working, Ben can often be found near the beach hiking, surfing and collecting the strange things that wash ashore.
Posted inArticle, Business, South Coast Bureau
Steelworkers in New Bedford to vote next week on ending 14-week strike
More than 1,300 steelworkers across the northeast will vote on a new contract next week, potentially ending a three-month strike that has shut down nine factories, including one in New Bedford’s South End. Allegheny Technologies Inc. and the United Steelworkers reached a tentative agreement last week that promises workers their first pay raise in seven […]
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Middleman who arranged bribes for ex-Fall River mayor sentenced to house arrest
A man who pleaded guilty to moving bribes from marijuana companies through City Hall is the first defendant in the corruption scandal to receive his sentence.
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture, Business, South Coast Bureau
Soccer offers a lifeline to New Bedford’s social clubs, if Portugal can keep winning
Soccer fans returned to New Bedford’s social clubs on Wednesday to watch Portugal tie France, the reigning World Cup champions. The result sends Portugal to the next round of this summer’s European Championship.
Posted inArticle, Environment, South Coast Bureau
Chasing waterfalls in Fall River
Many cities are re-evaluating their wish list of public works projects as the Biden administration promises the biggest infrastructure bill in generations. In Fall River, one urban planner dreams of restoring the waterfalls that gave the city its name.
Posted inArticle, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford promotes deputy police chief to department’s top job
New Bedford’s Acting Police Chief Paul Oliveira was picked to lead the department on a permanent basis on Wednesday. Oliveira’s been in charge since former chief Joseph Cordeiro announced his retirement on April 25 at age 56. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell says violent crime in the city has dropped forty percent in the last […]
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Judge throws out plea deal that spared jail time for convicted Fall River mayor’s chief of staff
A federal judge rejected a plea deal today that prosecutors reached with Gen Andrade, the former campaign manager and chief of staff to ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia. The deal required Andrade to pay a $10,000 fine but would have spared her jail time — a sentence the judge considered too lenient for the crimes […]
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Massachusetts voters to decide if million-dollar earners should pay higher taxes
A ballot question that would raise taxes on the wealthiest Massachusetts residents was approved by lawmakers today for a statewide vote in 2022, almost four years after the popular proposal was delayed by a ruling from the state’s highest court. Taxpayers of all incomes currently pay Massachusetts 5 cents for each dollar they earn. The […]
Posted inArticle, Education, South Coast Bureau
Fall River school superintendent accused of bullying employees will resign
Fall River’s school superintendent is resigning, several months after administrators accused him of bullying a disabled employee and making inappropriate remarks towards female coworkers. The allegations of misconduct were initially investigated by the city’s school committee, which voted this winter to keep Matthew Malone employed as superintendent at a reduced salary. The investigation’s findings were […]
Posted inArticle, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Fall River police suspend captain behind controversial Facebook post about George Floyd’s death
The morning after Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder, Captain Jay Huard was scrolling through Facebook on his lunch break when he saw a post that resonated with how he felt about the trial. “Chauvin immediately stood and calmly placed his hands behind his back. Imagine where we’d be had George […]
