JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
Even some health workers resist COVID-19 vaccines
Both Southcoast Health and Greater New Bedford Community Health Center are now requiring employees to be immunized.
Sept. 23, 2021
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Latest COVID-19 numbers for New Bedford, Bristol County
Updated Sept. 16, 2021
Where to get vaccinated with no appointment needed
Updated Sept. 15, 2021
‘They don’t have to die’
Nurses in New Bedford are not just exhausted — they are frustrated by the low vaccination rate and the knowledge that serious illnesses and deaths are now preventable.
Sept. 7, 2021
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CULTURE!
DON’T MISS: Drag brunch; Guatemalan fest; ‘Black Panther’ style screening; more
Find tips for things to do in our weekly events preview and Culture Calendar.
Sept. 20, 2021
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COVID-19 WARNING: While we continue to list New Bedford’s array of cultural offerings, readers are advised to heed the latest public health recommendations.
JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
COVID tragedies spark costly pension grabs for city, state
Ward 3 Councilor Hugh Dunn’s plan would make any death of any police officer or firefighter from COVID-19 exactly equal to the heroism of an officer who is shot to death on the street or a firefighter who loses his life in a burning building.
Sept. 21, 2021
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JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
Shocking sewer and water bills on tap
The city misses the loan deadlines to pay for mandatory sewer upgrades.
Sept. 15, 2021
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NEW BEDFORD SCHOOL WATCH
Feds to review New Bedford schools’ reporting of arrest data
The federal review comes more than a year after community groups urged reforms to the city’s School Resource Officer program, which places armed police officers inside schools.
Sept. 17, 2021
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HOUSING CRISIS
After 17 months, eviction lawyer program launching in Bristol County
The state’s Lawyer for a Day program may be “too little too late” for many tenants, after more than 600 eviction executions.
Sept. 14, 2021
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JACK SPILLANE COLUMN
Running for office in New Bedford? No thanks
There are so few candidates this year that there will be no preliminary election in five of New Bedford’s six wards.
Sept. 3, 2021
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WE REMEMBER YOU
Life tributes to New Bedford residents who died in the pandemic
Read more stories in our virtual memorial
MORE FROM JACK SPILLANE
Business sizzling for Latino entrepreneurs in New Bedford
The city’s Community Economic Development Center began a pilot program, showing would-be entrepreneurs how to get into the food-vending business.
Class and race issues dominate the New Bedford redistricting debate
It is a battle over who gets to talk for Southeastern Massachusetts in Washington and Boston, and where the emphasis will be on the issues in New Bedford, Fall River, and even Cape Cod and the South Shore.
New Bedford suburbs lag far behind the state in vaccinations
Dartmouth’s fully vaccinated rate of 49% is 16 points lower than the statewide rate of 65%. And the rates in Acushnet, Fairhaven and Freetown are not much better, coming in at 54%, 57% and 57% respectively, as of Aug. 10.
Time for truth about New Bedford, vaccines and COVID-19
The sad and bitter truth is that because we have failed to get vaccinated in great enough numbers in the city, our school kids will probably spend at least part of another year with their faces covered while they learn.
New Bedford’s panhandler remedy is on the rocks
The goal is to make it difficult for panhandlers to walk on the traffic island where they hold signs saying they are homeless.
Josh Amaral bows out of School Committee race
Amaral, who will not seek a third term, has been on the School Committee since he was little over a year out of UMass Dartmouth, where he was a political science major.
Jo-Jo doesn’t live here
Fortes deceived the city for the last seven elections, voting from a residence where he did not live. He also ran for Ward 4 City Council two times from the same bogus address, city election officials say.
New Bedford COVID-19 cluster surges to 45
Among the 39 people who attended the July 10 event and tested positive, only 5 were vaccinated. Six others, who later came in close contact with 39 partiers, also tested positive.
Getting neighborly with New Bedford’s at-large challengers
Taking a look at where a candidate lives in the city can provide a glimpse into who they are and what their personal interests are.
Is COVID-19 cluster at The Vault a warning for New Bedford?
The five confirmed cases were traced to four separate groups within the club that night, including one member of an 11-person bachelorette party.
DA seeks justice in case of Councilor Hugh Dunn
State police say an EMT and paramedic on the scene the night of the accidents described it as “obvious” that he had been drinking and that they smelled alcohol on his breath.
Water, Water everywhere
This year DATMA is up and down Union again, and over on MacArthur Drive, between the State Pier and the Black Whale.
City councilors look for free lunch in budget cuts
Councilors tend to avoid making any cuts to the salaries, health care and pension benefits of city employees, lest they incur the wrath of municipal unions.
Getting vaccines to New Bedford’s Latino neighborhoods
The number of fully vaccinated Hispanics in New Bedford is just 24%, compared to 40% of whites, 36% of Blacks and 17% of people who identify as multiracial.
Fairhaven sends a message for Pride month
The three-member Board of Selectmen has made it clear over the last month that the Pride flag has no place on the property that is the seat of town government in Fairhaven.
New Bedford looks warily at new COVID-19 variant
As people get ready for a big summer of art and music, the city continues to lag behind most of the state in the number of folks who are vaccinated.
It’s beach time in New Bedford
Cisco Brewers is going to draw back the curtain on what lovely city beaches New Bedford has, with vistas every bit as breathtaking as West Island and sparkling ocean as charming as Horseneck.
What the heck is happening in the South End?
A month into the 2021 municipal election’s campaign filing period, the William Street political world is abuzz over a Ward 6 race that would normally be a low-key affair.
Readers react to more waterfront staging space for offshore wind
Readers react to news that the Cannon power plant will be torn down to create city’s second offshore wind staging site.
Vineyard Wind and unions sign historic deal in New Bedford
Mayor Mitchell: This will “create a pathway to the middle class by helping to establish solid union jobs, right here in our city.”
Inside New Bedford’s blockbuster offshore wind deal
They agreed to devote a portion of the Cannon Street site for a modern seafood offloading facility where the public could view the fishing boats as they purchase fresh fish.
Offshore wind staging area planned for Eversource site
Cannon Street Power Station will be demolished and the surrounding area cleared to develop a staging area for the coming offshore wind industry.
The birth of a new American industry
In Episode 1 of the “Windfall” podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio examines the potential for wind power to reshape our energy future.
America’s would-be first wind farm
In Episode 2 of the “Windfall” podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio looks at how Cape Wind’s failure laid the groundwork for the industry’s explosive growth today.
How a scrappy squid fishery took on Vineyard Wind
In Episode 3 of the “Windfall” podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio looks at the forces colliding in the fight for fishing grounds.
Angling to become the wind capital of America
What does New Bedford stand to gain from the nation’s coming offshore wind boom? In Episode 4 of the “Windfall” podcast, New Hampshire Public Radio looks at big promises coming from industry leaders.
Alternative energy goes corporate
Is the environmental movement ready to welcome Big Oil and devoted capitalists into its ranks? At what cost? Episode 5 of New Hampshire Public Radio’s “Windfall” podcast explores.
IN DEPTH: HOUSING
New Bedford eviction actions mount as legal services languish
In Bristol County, 557 executions of eviction have been issued to renters since October 2020 … housing advocates say the number could soar in August.
Moratorium on evictions extended; where to get help in New Bedford
For tenants, landlords and homeowners, a large amount of rental relief funds are available to those in need.
Wave of evictions expected in New Bedford
The federal moratorium on evictions expires at the end of June. Many have already fallen through the cracks.
Battle brewing over future of New Bedford neighborhoods
As real estate prices increase, there is evidence that low-income residents are being forced out of homes in New Bedford.
Gentrification a solvable problem in New Bedford?
“If the city has the political will, it can make any of this work,” said Robert Terrell, a lecturer at Tufts University.
New Bedford renters struggle to find affordable apartments
“We’re seeing some folks really having challenging times being able to afford this rental market.”
City’s housing market is red-hot
Residential home prices in New Bedford are surging as supply remains low — and local buyers are finding it hard to compete.
What you get for your housing dollar
“New Bedford has always had a lot of value. There are a lot of opportunities …” says Stephen Medeiros, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.
A VIRTUAL MEMORIAL
WE REMEMBER YOU.
As the city emerges from the long siege of COVID-19, we pause to take stock of what – and whom – we’ve lost. Please help build this community memorial by adding a tribute to your loved one.
June 4, 2021
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IN DEPTH: COVID-19
Sad ending for hard-working New Bedford mill employees
Work in the mills may have allowed New Bedford residents to make a living, but it was never a good living for most. And it was never an easy life.
For ‘long-haulers,’ a return to normal remains out of reach
Two local families are still coping with lingering ailments and uncertainty months after initial infections.
Chris McCarthy’s harrowing COVID-19 survival tale
After suffering three strokes, a heart attack and double pneumonia, the WBSM host tells columnist Jack Spillane he does not know for sure whether he literally died.
New Bedford’s social clubs feel pain of pandemic
In the past year, some social clubs in New Bedford have closed their doors, perhaps even permanently. The Young Cape Verdean Athletic Association and the Elks Lodge have listed their properties for sale.
Essay: Remembering Kevin, Megan and Hank
Kevin Harrington and Megan Tench died alone and unexpectedly. Hank Seaman spent months of his last year in isolation from his friends and loved ones.
IN DEPTH: CITY BUDGET
New Bedford Light readers answer the $64.7 million question
If you had $64.7 million to spend for the City of New Bedford, what would you do? Readers share their ideas.
The $64.7 million question
Possible uses for the city’s pandemic relief aid include Zeiterion fix-up, water and sewer upgrades, Capitol Theatre restoration.
$73,000,000
New Bedford schools will receive upwards of $73 million in one-time federal relief funds aimed at safely reopening schools and addressing the needs of students affected by the pandemic.
IN DEPTH: SUMMER ARTS & CULTURE
New Bedford’s cultural world got creative to ride out COVID-19 storm
March 2020 is the month that the arts didn’t die in New Bedford. Instead, the city’s ‘Creative Community’ displayed resilience.
Summer arts explosion
‘Now we’re seeing a return to in-person events, which is so exciting,’ said Margo Saulnier, New Bedford’s creative strategist.
COMMUNITY VOICES
Essay: An open dialogue on police violence in New Bedford
The NAACP New Bedford Branch and Lawyers for Civil Rights are joining together for a ‘know your rights’ forum on interactions with police.
Essay: Texas abortion law an assault on democracy
This Supreme Court, rather than allowing the law to go through the course of legal challenges, chose to uphold the Texas law as it currently stands, shattering a precedent that has been the law of the land for the past 48 years.
Essay: What’s at stake for SouthCoast workers on this Labor Day
We need smart gentrification, where we build for the future, but without pricing out the people who build that future. We need much more affordable housing in all of SouthCoast, Cape Cod, and the Islands.
Essay: Who will benefit from infrastructure investments?
A louder debate is taking place over whether there are other aspects of the United States condition, essentially human needs, that should also be considered “infrastructure.”
Essay: A father who simply could not be silent
Eric Lindell knew nothing about what it meant to be Black in America, but he did know what it was like to be poor, to live in a broken home, to endure the silence of long unspoken trauma and to know something of what it meant to live in a world of other people’s ideas about who he was.
Comments: What do you think of mandatory vaccines and masks?
Members of the community weigh in on mandatory vaccines and face masks.
Will the new public safety center make New Bedford safer?
City officials officially opened the South Public Safety Center, the first new police and fire station to be built in New Bedford in more than 50 years.
Essay: The journey to equity is hard. Start by looking within.
Diverse leaders provide guidance and bring new networks, skill sets and experiences that help organizations operationally and strategically.
New Bedford’s Civil War memorial still has important story to tell
“Erected by the city of New Bedford as a tribute of gratitude to her sons who fell defending their country in the struggle with slavery and treason.”
Essay: 30 years as a funeral director didn’t prepare me for COVID
So please, as we face the next pandemic surge which will inevitably come, keep these people and all those you hold dear in mind.
Graduation speech: Our senior year in quarantine
Class of 2021 president Kennedy Johnson reflects on tumultuous year in New Bedford High School graduation speech.
Essay: Why I quit my job during COVID
“Some days were really good, maybe even great. We laughed and learned in our backyard classroom. … However, just one month in, things started to crack.”
Poem: For Every Lighthouse There is a Watchman
A Lisbon writer who grew up in New Bedford pens a poem, inspired by The Light, called “For Every Lighthouse There is a Watchman.”
ABOUT US
“Welcome to The New Bedford Light, your new home for community-based local news. As you can see, we are not a typical breaking news outlet. We hope to be something different, something more.”
READ MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
WHO ARE WE?
How did we come to be? What is our news mission? How do we keep our journalism separate from funders and other interests? How do we decide what to publish? Check out our FAQ, our list of founders and board members, recent news stories about our project, and our community forums.
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Do you have a good idea for a story? What are the biggest issues facing your family, your neighborhood, your city? Please tell us, and include your name, address, and phone number. We will keep all of your information confidential. Contact us at tips@newbedfordlight.org.
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voices@newsbedfordlight.org.
EXPAND OUR CULTURE CALENDAR
Our calendar is just getting started. We want to know everything going on at the many arts and culture institutions in our city. We also want to embrace the “edges” of what makes our local culture so rich — galleries, studios, clubs, small restaurants and more: calendar@newbedfordlight.org.
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