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Rochester waste facility breaks into flames

Smoke billows from the SEMASS facility during the June 14 fire. Photos source: David Curran

ROCHESTER — A fire broke out at the SEMASS facility on Cranberry Highway on Sunday, June 14. One firefighter was transported to the hospital for evaluation. The fire caused a…

A bird’s eye view of the South Coast osprey this season

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MARION — Monitoring nests across the South Coast, Carol Baird Molander of the Nasketucket Bird Club watches for osprey all year. As March arrives, Molander observes as ospreys migrate from South America and…

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South Coast Community Foundation scholarship winners

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Recent graduates across the South Coast have received scholarships from the South Coast Community Foundation who partners with area families, organizations and businesses to support students. The SouthCoast Community Foundation proudly celebrated...

Maggie Toland-Kennedy joins Jack Conway’s Mattapoisett team

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MATTAPOISETT — Jack Conway has recently welcomed Maggie Toland-Kennedy to its team of Mattapoisett real estate agents. Before beginning her career in real estate, Toland-Kennedy worked in healthcare. She served as an intake coordinator for a local...

New Mattapoisett bakery and cafe serves up French pastries

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MATTAPOISETT — Vanessa Dossantos had always known she wanted to be a pastry chef and finally got the opportunity to open her own cafe and bakery in Mattapoisett. Dossantos, of Fall River, recently opened Eden Cafe and Bakery. Her business is...

Bathroom controversy draws crowd at Rochester School Committee

Luis Rivera speaks at the June 3 Rochester School Committee meeting. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — Parents and residents packed the Rochester School Committee’s Wednesday, June 3 meeting to discuss how the administration has handled complaints about a 9-year-old transgender student allegedly pushing into a classmate’s bathroom...

Badly damaged stretch of Delano Road soon to be repaved

The Marion Select Board approved work on Delano Road at a Tuesday, June 2 meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — After a particularly brutal winter which damaged many roads in town, the one in perhaps the worst condition will soon be repaved with funds from a grant secured by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. The Select Board approved work on Delano Road...

Marion General Store to soon reopen under new management

Will and Amy Felder will soon reopen the Marion General Store. Photos source: Marion General Store Facebook

MARION — Carver residents Amy and Will Felder have partnered with the Marion General Store to reopen the historic business that closed in April due to staffing changes and owner Jack Cheney’s health concerns. The Felders will lease the space and...

Old Colony Building Project returns to polls June 20

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ROCHESTER — Voters will once again be asked to approve a $288 million project proposal for a new Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School building on Saturday, June 20. The five member towns — Rochester, Mattapoisett, Lakeville,...

Results of Old Colony, Old Rochester teams in playoffs

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Old Rochester Regional High School and Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School sports teams headed to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs. All teams have been eliminated except for Old Colony’s baseball team...

Cyclists have a wheelie good time at Mattapoisett's annual Tour de Créme

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MATTAPOISETT — I scream, you scream, we all bike for ice cream! On Sunday, May 31 cyclists of all ages took on a 9, 25 or 47-mile route to support the Mattapoisett Rail Trail in its annual Tour de Créme. Cyclists rode around Mattapoisett and a few...

Rochester will have dual ballots again for Old Colony revote

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ROCHESTER — Rochester will once again present voters with two ballots on the Saturday, June 20 vote for the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Building Project. The Select Board agreed to present voters with one ballot asking to...

Catherine Connolly appointed as permanent police sergeant

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ROCHESTER — Acting Sergeant Catherine Connolly has been promoted to a permanent sergeant in the Rochester Police Department. At a Monday, June 1 Rochester Select Board meeting Connolly was recommended and appointed as a sergeant having been an...

ORR students awarded in essay contest

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MATTAPOISETT — Four Old Rochester Regional High School students won awards for their essays about democracy. The essay competition was designed by the Marion Democratic Town Committee to promote interest in civic engagement and help students define...

Rochester election results in tie for a School Committee seat

The race for Rochester School Committee ended with a tie for one of the seats. File photo

ROCHESTER — While Kate Duggan easily won a seat on the School Committee in a contentious race between four candidates, fellow candidates Barbara Lee and Isabel Gomes-McCann are tied for the second available seat. Rochester residents headed to the...

‘Make kindness your priority’: Old Colony graduates its 50th class

The graduates of the class of 2026 throw their caps in the air at Old Colony's commencement Sunday, May 31. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — A day after torrential downpour caused Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School to reschedule its commencement ceremony, faculty, friends and family celebrated the class of 2026 on Sunday, May 31. The school’s first...

‘Play to your strengths’: Old Rochester graduation celebrates class of 2026

Graduating students toss their caps in the air at Old Rochester Regional High School's commencement on Saturday, May 30. Photos by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — Classmates, parents and friends came together Saturday, May 30 to celebrate the graduates of Old Rochester Regional High School’s class of 2026. Among the 146 students who graduated Saturday were leaders, record breakers, athletes...

150 years later, Tabor celebrates class of 2026

Graduates toss their commencement programs in the air at graduation on Friday, May 22. Photos source: Lawrence Films

MARION — The Tabor Academy community marked the culmination of the school’s 150th year celebrating the class of 2026’s graduation. The graduates and their guests were joined by the underclassmen for the Friday, May 22 ceremony under a large tent on...

Old Rochester seniors take a ‘stroll’ down memory lane

Senior Max Chace embraces his former teacher, Ashley Sweatland. Photos source: ORRHS

MATTAPOISETT — Days before seniors at Old Rochester Regional High School walk in commencement, they looked back in time for Senior Stroll on Friday, May 29. Soon-to-be graduates visited Rochester Memorial, Sippican and Old Hammondtown elementary...

Old Rochester names top 10 class of 2026 scholars

State Rep. Mark Silva awarded the top 10 students at Senior Awards night on Thursday, May 28. Photos source: ORRHS

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School honored the top 10 graduating seniors during Senior Awards night on Thursday, May 28. This year’s highest-ranking students were Ella Milhench, Hannah Thorell, Jacob Iappini, Gavin Coffey,...

Car hits Ripe From the Vine, no major damage

A driver struck Ripe From the Vine after mistakenly hitting the gas pedal. Photos by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — A car hit the outside of Ripe From the Vine on Wednesday afternoon after the elderly driver mistakenly pushed the gas pedal instead of the brake. The ramp leading up to the entrance blocked the building from major damage, but the...

Mattapoisett veteran Colonel Nancy Souza honored at military event in Boston

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MATTAPOISETT — As Nancy Souza prepared to coach volleyball at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in 1991, she was called to active duty and deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. From...

Outrage erupts over trans Rochester Memorial School student using girls' bathroom

Luis Rivera, left, speaks during a May 7 school committee meeting. Photo source: ORCTV

ROCHESTER — The angry father of a Rochester Memorial School student is calling for the district to change its policy on bathroom access for transgender students after he reports a transgender classmate barged into his daughter’s bathroom stall....

Mobile food pantry shifts into gear in Rochester

Maureen Vieira, left, and Nora DuPont stand beside the mobile food pantry at the Rochester Council on Aging. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — After about a year of paperwork and preparation, Nora DuPont’s community nutrition project is ready to hit the road. She’s the founder of From Georgia, With Love, a nonprofit organization that operates a mobile food pantry in Rochester....

Plymouth County Sheriff's Office layoffs may have ripple effects in small towns

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ROCHESTER — At the beginning of March the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office announced 33 layoffs in the offices of Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Field Services and Civil Process. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation took the largest hit in...

Clear sailing for paddlers and kayakers in annual Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race

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ROCHESTER — Excitement buzzed in the air as old friends greeted each other and newcomers charted their plans for the annual Rochester Memorial Day boat race. Kayakers and paddlers took on the approximately 13 mile route winding through Rochester...

Marion, Mattapoisett hold Memorial Day ceremonies

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Rainy weather might have moved Marion and Mattapoisett’s Memorial Day ceremonies indoors, but it didn’t dampen spirits. Instead of a previously-planned parade, Marion held a ceremony Monday morning in the Sippican School auditorium. The auditorium...

Old Rochester students set to attend Boys and Girls State

MATTAPOISETT - Eight students at Old Rochester Regional High School are slated to attend the Massachusetts Boys and Girls State conventions at Stonehill College in June. At the convention, students attending Boys and Girls State study state and...

Volunteers honor veterans with Hammond Cemetery cleanup

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MATTAPOISETT — In honor of Memorial Day and their friend Ronnie Scott, Raymond Hanks and Anthony Spooner set out to continue their work of cleaning up graveyards. Hanks is a part of the Advisory Committee for Cemeteries, Memorials and Veterans...

Catch a wave! Gnome Surf Therapy offers adaptable surf exercises for all

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MATTAPOISETT — Everyone can surf with a program based out on the South Coast catering to athletes of all ages and abilities. Gnome Surf Therapy spent the day working with Old Rochester Regional elementary, junior high and high school students...

Marion passes new rule limiting Island Wharf green space parking

Select Board members John Hoagland, Randy Parker and Toby Burr passed a restriction on parking in the grass at Island Wharf during a Tuesday, May 19 meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — The debate over use of the grassy area at Island Wharf has been temporarily settled with new parking restrictions. The Select Board decided at its Tuesday, May 19 meeting to restrict parking on the green space, implementing a parking ban...

UPDATE: Nicole Doyon Lynch, Judy Mooney, Frances-Feliz Kearns win Select Board seats

Voters headed to the polls at Old Hammondtown School on Tuesday, May 19. Photo by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — Nicole Doyon Lynch, Judy Mooney and Frances-Feliz Kearns were elected Tuesday to join the newly-expanded Select Board, among six candidates in a hard-fought race. About 30% of voters came out to the polls Tuesday, May 19 to settle...

Candidates share why they are the best fit at Rochester Candidates Night

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ROCHESTER — The night after Town Meeting, residents showed up to hear from multiple candidates who shared why they would be the best fit for each position on Tuesday, May 19. Rochester elections will take place on Wednesday, May 27 from 8 a.m. to 8...

Rezoning efforts fail at Rochester Town Meeting

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ROCHESTER — An effort to rezone a number of properties in a rural part of town along County and Mary’s Pond roads was rejected at a three-hour Town Meeting on Monday, May 18. Proposed by town officials as a way to increase town tax revenue,...

Cameron Wentworth joins Marion as new Harbormaster

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MARION — Months after former Harbormaster Adam Murphy abruptly left the position, Marion has found its new harbormaster. The Select Board announced Cameron Wentworth will soon assume the harbormaster position, bringing with him experience as the...

Rochester elections to take place on Wednesday, May 27

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ROCHESTER — Voters will head to the polls on Wednesday, May 27 to decide municipal positions. Voting will take place on Wednesday at the Rochester Senior Center located at 67 Dexter Lane from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early in-person voting for the Annual...

Touch a Truck rolls in to Old Rochester

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MATTAPOISETT — Young kids and their families had a honkin’ good time at Old Rochester Regional High School’s Touch a Truck event on Saturday. Students in the school’s early childhood education program and community organizations partnered for the...

Special education major concern at Rochester Town Meeting

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ROCHESTER — Voters questioned the Old Rochester Regional School District's special education budget at Town Meeting Monday, May 18. Around 270 residents attended Town Meeting to discuss how special education is funded in the region. One item asked...

Two Mattapoisett high school graduates receive Lions Club scholarship

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Lions Club announced that Leah Hollenbeck a senior at Old Colony Regional Technical High School and Caitlyn Lund, a senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, are the recipients of the 2026 Mattapoisett Lion’s Club...

Assistant Principal Charles West selected as new Principal for Center School

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MATTAPOISETT — Assistant Principal Charles West was selected as the next Principal of Center School. West is set to begin the role July 1, pending on contract negotiations that are ongoing. West served as the Assistant Principal at Rochester...

Its barrels of fun for the second year of New England Rodeo

A rider rounds the barrels. Photos by Brandy Muz

ROCHESTER — As the dust settled in the pens and the stands filled with cowboy hat-clad community members, the New England Rodeo kicked off it's second season Saturday, May 16. The New England Rodeo came to Rochester first in 2025, bringing barrel...

Meet Kate Duggan, candidate for Rochester school committee

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ROCHESTER — Incumbent Kate Duggan is running for her third term on the Rochester Memorial School Committee. She has served two, three year terms on the School Committee previously first elected in 2020. Duggan has lived in Rochester for 16 years...

Meet Isabel Gomes-McCann, candidate for Rochester school committee

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ROCHESTER — Isabel Gomes-McCann is running for the Rochester Memorial School Committee position for the first time. She is focused on being apolitical and serving the district's students first. Gomes-McCann has lived in Rochester for over 30 years....

UPDATE: Marion election results in, Toby Burr wins Select Board

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MARION — Election results are in with Carelton Toby Burr winning the Select Board position and Margaret McSweeny winning another term on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee. Marion Town Clerk Katrina Desroches said that 847 residents cast...

Incumbent and newcomer race for Marion seat on Old Rochester School Committee

Margaret McSweeny and Katharine McAuley.

MARION — Two contenders are racing for a spot on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee ahead of Marion town elections. Incumbent Margaret McSweeny and Katharine McAuley are running to represent Marion on the school committee ahead of the...

Old Colony students shoot for the stars at culinary competition

Old Colony students set up for competition at the Johnson Space Center during the NASA HUNCH culinary challenge. Photo source: Ashley Ulett

ROCHESTER — Chicken vindaloo tacos helped a group of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School students blast off to Houston this spring. A team of Old Colony culinary students cooked their dish for judges at the Johnson Space Center...

Items up for discussion at Rochester Town Meeting

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ROCHESTER — Voters will be asked to decide on 34 matters at this year’s Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m. at Rochester Memorial School located at 16 Pine St. Town Administrator Cameron Durant presented the items to the public on...

All measures pass at Marion Town Meeting

Voters met in Sippican School for Town Meeting on Monday, May 11. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — Voters met in the Sippican Elementary School auditorium for a 2 ½ hour-long meeting to take care of town business on May 11. A $32 million dollar budget, funding for a school district-wide health insurance deficit and updates to the...

Mattapoisett voters head to town election this Tuesday

Voters will chose three new Select Board members during town elections on Tuesday, May 19. File photo

MATTAPOISETT — Unlike after most annual town elections, some newly elected Select Board members in Mattapoisett won’t begin a three-year term. voters will be asked to select up to three of the six candidates. how long their terms will be will...

Marion Election is on Friday, May 15

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MARION — Voters of Marion will head to the polls for a contested race between three Select Board candidates at Town Election on Friday, May 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center. Marion is offering in-person Early...

Housing addressed at Mattapoisett Town Meeting

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MATTAPOISETT — Two housing bylaws were addressed at Spring Town Meeting on Monday, May 11. Residents were asked to vote on two bylaws addressing housing in the area. One bylaw was the Cottage Community Bylaw and the other addressed Accessory...

All budgets passed at Mattapoisett Town Meeting

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MATTAPOISETT — Approximately 250 Mattapoisett residents gathered in Old Rochester Regional High School’s Auditorium to vote on the future of the town on Monday, May 11. All town budgets including the general annual funding and the school budget were...