The company suggested that it might walk away from the project unless the Somerset Zoning Board of Appeals reconsidered an earlier decision.
South Coast Bureau
Posted inArticle, Education, South Coast Bureau
UMass Dartmouth payments to Star Store developer under review by Inspector General
Two years after a lease-to-own agreement expired, the university continued paying the Star Store’s private owner, Paul Downey, a monthly rent of nearly $160,000. State Sen. Mark Montigny, who passed legislation triggering the review, said Downey collected that money without making any “discernible improvements to the building,” leaving a maintenance backlog that could imperil any hopes of the university returning to its downtown arts campus.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
Years of alleged abuses by Fall River cop reveal limits of internal police investigations
Michael Pessoa remained a police officer for nearly two decades despite receiving frequent complaints of physical and verbal abuse, exposing the limits of the Fall River Police Department’s attempts to police itself. Editor’s note: This story references offensive remarks about race and sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.
Posted inArticle, Environment, South Coast Bureau
South Coast and Rhode Island play it safe ahead of possible weekend storms
Heavy winds and high surf are expected as Hurricane Lee appears poised to pass by southern New England without a direct hit.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, Local, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Judge fines DA for withholding information about fatal police shooting in Fall River
Justice James Budreau ordered $1,000 in punitive damages against the Bristol County District Attorney’s office — the lowest amount allowed under the law — for shielding the names of police officers involved in the death of Anthony Harden and the subsequent investigation.
Posted inArtscape, Episode, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford says goodbye to a downtown eccentric
Ira Cohen, a bookseller and art model who kept a literary spirit alive in a tough New England seaport, died this January at 70 years old after a brief illness. Cohen was the focus of what turned out to be the last show UMass Dartmouth exhibited at its gallery in downtown New Bedford before the university abruptly closes its campus there at the end of the month. For this week’s Artscape, South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke interviewed more than a dozen people who knew Cohen. The result is a collection of stories, memories and impressions that form another lasting portrait of Cohen.
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture, Politics, South Coast Bureau
UMass Dartmouth arts school to leave downtown New Bedford
Faculty and students at the College of Visual and Performing Arts were notified about the Star Store’s imminent closure two weeks before the school year began.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
Ex-Fall River cop sentenced to prison in police brutality case
Michael Pessoa will serve at least a year and a half in state prison after a jury convicted him of using excessive force and covering it up in false reports.
Posted inArticle, South Coast Bureau
Work resumes on Vineyard Wind after union protest causes six-day delay
A picket by the International Longshoremen’s Association halted construction on America’s first major offshore wind farm for nearly a week. The union accused the project’s developer, Vineyard Wind, of falling short of promises to build a diverse, local workforce.
Posted inArticle, Criminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
Former Fall River cop convicted of covering up excessive force with false reports
On Wednesday, a Bristol County jury found Michael Pessoa, a former patrolman who spent 19 years on the Fall River Police Department, guilty of assault and battery and three other criminal charges.
