Page 8 - Mitchell Administration News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

There are those among us who can be bought off with a Dunkin' gift card. Okay, I can be bought off with a Dunkin' gift card. But can a bunch of senior citizens who have thus far eluded a COVID-19 vaccine be bought off with a Dunkin' gift card? That remains to be seen. The Mitchell Administration has announced that beginning Wednesday, those 65 years old and older who receive a first vaccine dose at a participating vaccination site will receive a $20 Dunkin' gift card. Is that fair? Those sites include the walk-up FEMA-run clinic at the Waterfront Vaccination Center on Hervey Tichon Avenue, or...

Let the New Bedford Budget Hearings Begin [OPINION] The New Bedford City Council's Committee on Finance meets tonight for the first time since Mayor Jon Mitchell submitted his proposed $431 million budget for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The proposed budget is about $20 million more than the current $411 million operating budget. The city's contribution from the general fund is $383 million, some $18 million more than the current budget. The remainder comes from various forms of state aid. Mitchell unveiled the spending plan during a virtual budget address to the council last ...

Since a controversial report on alleged racial profiling by the New Bedford Police Department was released by Citizens for Juvenile Justice a week ago, the report's findings have been called into question by the department, the Mitchell Administration, the police union, and residents. In particular, the NBPD called into question the non-profit organization’s use of the data the department itself provided through public records requests. In a response dated April 20 and provided to WBSM News today following an inquiry, the organization said it stands by the analysis in the report, entitled "...

The New Bedford Fire Department Is in Sad Shape [OPINION] The New Bedford Fire Department's new quint apparatus is in the shop for unspecified reasons and is not ready to be pressed into service any time soon, according to New Bedford Firefighters IAFF Local 841 President Billy Sylvia. The $250,000 truck is supposed to replace Engine 8 when it is eventually taken out of service. The Mitchell Administration has delayed the mothballing of Engine 8 several times and has even asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a SAFER grant to keep the piece operational. Sylvia told me the 15-year-...

Despite expressed support from Mayor Jon Mitchell to retain his position and earn a new contract with the City, New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro has decided to retire after five years as the city's top cop. His tenure will be marked by positive changes such as a departmental policy shift towards community policing, technological upgrades in the department, and new use of force policies that were codified in a commission established by Mayor Mitchell last summer in response to civil rights protests in the city. It will also be marked by some controversy, such as a very long and publ...