Page 137 - Jon Mitchell News Today

NEW BEDFORD — The new-to-New Bedford “quint” fire apparatus has arrived in the city. According to the New Bedford Fire Department’s official Facebook page, the department “recently made the purchase of a lightly used 2005 quint,” after “the unexpected breakdown of one of our apparatus.” The department shared photos of the quint as part of the Facebook post. This particular quint – which is a hybrid of both an engine and a ladder truck – has 31,000 miles on it and is “in ve...

New Bedford City Council Flexes Political Muscles [OPINION] Members of the New Bedford City Council are outraged with Mayor Jon Mitchell and his positions on public safety. Recent fires and shootings are motivating them. Mayor Mitchell hasnt been able to successfully negotiate a contract with either the police or firefighter unions for years. Year after year has gone by and the tensions between the first responders and the former federal prosecutor have grown in part because of the unsettled co...

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said the city will soon apply for a federal SAFER grant to help the New Bedford Fire Department “transition from a rough period financially for the city.” Mitchell also told WBSM host Barry Richard on Wednesday that local fire union officials have been overstating the city’s reliance on mutual aid from surrounding communities during major structure fires in New Bedford. “It’s the kind of thing you hear from the fire unions. It’s one big union, theyre p...

New Bedford Councilors Want Answers on Public Safety Issues NEW BEDFORD — The New Bedford City Council is asking Mayor Jon Mitchell not to decommission Engine 8 or close the downtown police station this fiscal year, with the hope that officials in the meantime will find the money needed to pay for those public safety expenses. The city council voted 11-0 on Thursday to send a letter to Mitchell requesting that his administration and the council work together to find funding for those services...

NEW BEDFORD — Beginning Monday, March 1, New Bedford Public Schools will transition elementary students  back into the building for in-person instruction. This process will begin with seven elementary schools in the district: Carney, Gomes, Hayden-McFadden, Renaissance, Rodman, Taylor and Winslow. Each school has been working with their parent community for the notification of which grade levels are starting. Cohort A is comprised of students in specialized, substantially-separate education...

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell still plans to remove Engine 8 from service, even after a series of large fires that rocked the city since Thanksgiving when three multi-family houses burned on Washburn Street. Mitchell said on my program Wednesday that he plans to replace Engine 8 with a hybrid vehicle known as a "quint" that is both an engine and a ladder truck. His critics say there is no comparison between the two pieces of apparatus. Veteran City Councilor Brian Gomes, who chairs the council...

New Bedford Schools Announce Increase to In-Person Learning NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford Public Schools is set to launch the next phase of increased in-person instruction in classrooms, Superintendent Thomas Anderson announced at an outdoor press conference today at the Alfred J. Gomes School. This new phase in the district’s year-long comprehensive response to prioritize the health and safety of all students and staff will start on Monday, March 1, 2021, beginning initially with seven element...

New Bedford residents who are footing the bill need to ask themselves, what good is a ShotSpotter system that won't spot shots?

New Bedford Police Announce Largest Fentanyl Bust in City History NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford Police on Monday announced the biggest fentanyl bust in the history of the department, following a months-long investigation. Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro announced the seizure in a press conference broadcast on Facebook Live through the department’s official Facebook page. Police say they seized 7.2 kilos, or nearly 16 pounds, of fentanyl from two apartments located at 2100 Phillips Road. According ...

It is election season in many Massachusetts cities and towns. The smart candidates have started early because COVID-19 is making retail politics more difficult.