Investigators believe the deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River started in a resident’s room from either a failed oxygen concentrator or smoking materials later found in the room. “During this past week, investigators have retrieved and recovered more evidence, reviewed video footage, and spoken to witnesses,” Bristol County District […]
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Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
The Bristol County DA says it incorrectly declared a 10th person dead in Fall River fire
The Bristol County District Attorney’s office said Friday it had mistakenly announced that a 10th person had died in the fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River. The DA’s office said yesterday that 66-year-old Brenda Cropper had died. But now, the DA said that mistake was due to “a miscommunication with […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
9 dead, 30 injured after five-alarm fire at assisted living facility in Fall River
Nine people are dead and at least 30 injured after a five-alarm fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River on Sunday night, according to city officials. “This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said in a statement early Monday morning. […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Transportation
What it’s like to (finally) ride the train from New Bedford to Boston
Lea Jarrett rode the train for love. A law student at Boston College, her boyfriend usually has to drive her up to Boston after her weekend visits. But on Monday, he dropped Jarrett at the station in New Bedford. “This is kind of a gamechanger,” Jarrett said. Jarrett was one of about 60 people who […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Politics, The Weekly Catch
Reproductive rights under Trump, how Democrats lost Fall River, and more
What could Trump’s second presidency mean for reproductive health in Rhode Island? A reproductive rights advocate tells us what they expect, what they’re hearing from people in our communities, and how they’re preparing for the difficult fights ahead. Also, Fall River has been a Democratic stronghold politically for a century. So how did Trump and the Republicans flip it in this past election? Plus, we’ll hear a studio session with two Lithuanian American siblings who have been singing traditional Lithuanian folk music for as long as they can remember. That and more on this week’s show.
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 inLocal, Politics
Trump voting trend continues in Fall River
The city of Fall River has traditionally been a blue community where Democrats have thrived. But after the unofficial numbers came in from the city’s 27 polling places, the Spindle City looks like a shade of purple, with former President Donald Trump sliding into first place over Vice President Kamala Harris. The unofficial tally: the […]
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 inEducation, Labor, The Weekly Catch
Child labor law violations in Fall River, behind the failed Star Store-UMass Dartmouth deal, and more
A seafood processing plant in Fall River is at the heart of a new lawsuit that claims the plant employed underage migrant workers – and says the teens were exposed to potentially dangerous conditions. The suit comes a year after an investigation by The Public’s Radio into possible child labor violations at seafood processors in New Bedford. Also, a year after UMass Dartmouth abruptly closed its arts campus at the Star Store in New Bedford, an investigation by the Massachusetts Inspector General gives us a clearer picture of what exactly happened and who’s to blame. And we hear a studio session with Providence-based jazz combo, the Leland Baker Trio. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inHealth, Local
Lifespan finalizes deal to buy two Massachusetts hospitals
Rhode Island’s largest hospital system, Lifespan, on Thursday said that it reached a deal to buy two Massachusetts hospitals from the distressed Steward Health Care for $175 million. The price for Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Mass. and Morton Hospital in Taunton, Mass., includes the land, building and improvements to the property as well […]
