Organizers of the annual Moby Dick reading marathon in New Bedford say they set a new attendance record this past weekend. Nearly 2,500 people traveled to the Whaling Museum to participate, arriving from 37 states and countries as far away as Australia, Brazil, and Sweden, according to Amanda McMullen, the museum’s president and CEO. “It’s […]
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 inArts And Culture, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford reveals design for Herman Melville statue
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell wants his city to do more to promote its connection to one of the great American novels. Mitchell unveiled the design for an eight-foot bronze statue of Moby Dick author Herman Melville at a press conference on Friday morning. The statue portrays Melville in a heroic pose with his mouth […]
Posted inLocal, South Coast Bureau
MassDOT unveils early plan to replace New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge
During the day, traffic on the New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge comes to a halt once an hour. The 120-year-old steel bridge slowly spins 90 degrees until it’s perpendicular to the road, opening up a pair of narrow channels on both sides for fishing boats and barges to squeeze through. Cars don’t start moving again until the […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Regulators approve nonprofit’s purchase of two R.I. hospitals from private equity firm
After a yearslong review process, state health regulators have granted final approval to the proposed sale of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, opening the door for a nonprofit to take over ownership of the struggling Rhode Island hospitals from a for-profit private equity firm. Otis Brown, a spokesman for the […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, South Coast Bureau
How the Democrats lost their grip on Fall River
For a long time, the glue that held together the various constituencies of Fall River politics was the Democratic ward committee. The city’s nine ward committees were little outposts of the party with a presence in every neighborhood of Fall River. Each committee had up to 35 members elected from the surrounding neighborhood, many of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford’s next offshore wind play: More office space
New Bedford’s waterfront is already bustling with the colossal maneuvers of offshore wind construction – there are cranes assembling turbines taller than the city’s biggest buildings, and ships arriving with blades as long as football fields. But on Monday, Mayor Jon Mitchell announced the city’s latest play in the industry: creating more office space for […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
R.I. voters approve new bonds for public projects, but nix constitutional convention
Faced with five ballot questions in a high-turnout election, Rhode Islanders authorized more than $343 million in new bonds to fund a broad swath of public projects and declined the opportunity to host a constitutional convention to revise the state’s constitution. Factoring in the interest the state will pay on the bonds over their 20-year […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Fall River voters are embracing Trump and his harsh stance on immigration
Fernando’s Place is a bar in Fall River, in a part of town called the Flint. It’s a hole in the wall spot next to an auto body shop. Inside, there’s a pool table, a lottery ticket machine, and a TV regulars use to watch Champions League soccer on weekday afternoons. The view from the […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford takes Star Store owner to court
The City of New Bedford is suing the private owner of the Star Store for more than $500,000 in unpaid taxes through a process that could end with the city seizing ownership of the downtown property if its tax bill remains unpaid. The Star Store, an historic building that fills nearly a full city block […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Breaking down the South Coast’s competitive elections in 2024
Our South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke broke down the elections on the South Coast with Morning Edition host Luis Hernandez. Transcript: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: So Ben, two years ago, there was a very high profile race for Bristol County Sheriff. Is there a similar race that’s […]
