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Deceased man found in vehicle, foul play not suspected

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MARION — The Marion Police Department is investigating after a 76-year-old man was found dead in a vehicle Thursday, May 7. Foul play is not suspected. At…

Old Rochester mens tennis is young but undefeated

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MATTAPOISETT — With an undefeated season of 11-0 so far, the Old Rochester Regional High School men's tennis team is looking for more wins. Having lost in the second round…

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Key issues up for vote at Marion Town Meeting

Marion voters will cover over 40 propositions at Town Meeting.

MARION — Without major projects slated for the upcoming year, spring Town Meeting is set to cover mainly standard financial business. Voters will be asked to approve the town’s budget and various line items, update a bylaw according to new state...

Two new Rochester police officers sworn in at Select Board

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ROCHESTER — Two new patrol officers, Scott Robbins and Jason Arthurs were sworn into the Rochester Police Department. Robbins was sworn in as a full-time officer and Arthurs was sworn in as a reserve officer at a Rochester Select Board meeting on...

Sippican Chorus celebrates the glory of Springtime

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MARION — Voices rang out and filled a sunlit Wickenden Chapel with a feeling of hope and welcoming spring on Sunday, May 3 at a Sippican Choral Society concert. The group held their annual spring concert “The Glory of Spring” with pieces from...

Meet the candidates: Three contenders run for one seat on the Marion Select Board

Norman Hills, George "TJ" Walker and Toby Burr.

MARION — Three candidates are running for one available three-year term on the Marion Select Board, as town election approaches on Friday, May 15. Incumbent Norman Hills is running for reelection, with Toby Burr and George "TJ" Walker eying the...

Meet Marion Select Board candidate George "TJ" Walker

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MARION — George “TJ” Walker is running for Select Board striving for transparency and participation. Walker has lived in Marion for over 40 years and is currently an elected member of the Board of Assessors. He has been in and out of elected...

Meet Marion Select Board incumbent Norman Hills

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MARION — Norman Hills is running for another term on the Select Board using his 9 years of experience as a guide. Hills received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, earned two graduate degrees from the Naval...

Meet Marion Select Board candidate Toby Burr

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MARION — Longtime small business owner and Marion resident Carleton Toby Burr is running for Select Board to make the town more affordable and government transparent. Burr has lived in Marion for over 40 years and worked for his family’s local...

Sippican Elementary students take p-art in display of creativity

Sippican School students play with a teacher during the Arts-in-Action event. Photos source: Old Rochester Regional School District

MARION — Sippican Elementary School was full of paintings, music, dances and other art created by its students throughout this year. The school held Arts-in-Action, an event showcasing student art and creativity, last month. The event features...

Old Colony, Upper Cape each receive $2 million state grant

Old Colony is among the technical schools receiving grant funds. File photo

Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical high schools will receive $2 million each in state funds, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today. These grants are part of a state-wide effort to expand...

Tyler Macallister rings in final day of Select Board, pursues Congress

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MATTAPOISETT — Running for Congress, Chair of the Select Board Tyler Macallister rang in his last Select Board meeting on Tuesday, April 28. Macallister is leaving the Select Board to run for Massachusett’s 9th Congressional District. He will be...

Mattapoisett candidates share goals for town’s future ahead of elections

Select Board candidate Eric Beauregard speaks at the Mattapoisett Candidates' Night on Wednesday, April 29. Photos by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — Candidates running for positions across town attended a Candidates’ Night at the Mattapoisett Public Library to make their case for why they’d be the best fit for the job. The candidates up for election — and reelection — addressed a...

Structure fire caused by cigarette on Point Road, no injuries

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MARION — A structure fire occurred the evening of Friday, April 24 at 1018 Point Road. Fire Chief Brian Jackvony said the fire was caused by improper disposal of a cigarette. The fire department received a call for a structure fire around 10:30...

Mattapoisett Select Board reviews, approves warrant for Town Meeting

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MATTAPOISETT — The Select Board and Finance Committee approved 30 articles for Town Meeting, including budgets, expenditures and secondary housing unit bylaws. The two groups held a joint meeting Tuesday, April 28 to review the warrant before Town...

Diane Tomasetti returns to Jack Conway’s Mattapoisett team

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MATTAPOISETT — Jack Conway welcomes Diane Tomassetti back to its team of Mattapoisett real estate agents. With 27 years of real estate experience across the country, she welcomes the opportunity to work with buyers and sellers throughout the South...

Remote voting devices will not be used at Rochester Town Meeting

The Town of Rochester received remote voting devices from an donor. File photo

ROCHESTER — Despite the anonymous donation of 400 remote voting devices, voting at the Monday, May 18 Town Meeting will still be done the old-fashioned way. Moderator David Arancio decided not to use the devices, citing a lack of training and a...

Old Rochester welcomed former Celtic Chris Herren for substance abuse presentation

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MATTAPOISETT — Former Celtics player Chris Herren let students at Old Rochester Regional High School try on his shoes as he shared his perspective about a promising basketball career derailed by substance abuse and his subsequent journey to...

Interactive story dispenser introduced at Mattapoisett Library

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MATTAPOISETT — With the press of a button, a large receipt-like piece of paper inches out of a cylindrical machine in the lobby of the Mattapoisett Library. It keeps going until the paper curls and hits the floor, bearing a freshly-printed short...

Old Rochester seniors recognized as Academic All-Stars

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MATTAPOISETT — Five seniors at Old Rochester Regional High School were recently recognized for their academic accomplishments at the 37th annual South Coast Conference Academic All-Star Banquet. On Thursday, April 16, Rosemary Clark, Gavin Coffey,...

Marion’s future addressed at candidates night

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MARION — Three candidates for Select Board shared why they would be the best fit for Marion Select Board at an evening forum. The forum was held at Sippican Elementary School on Thursday, April 23. Incumbent Norman Hills is up for reelection...

Rochester officials, residents concerned with major special education funding shortfall

Select Board member Bradford Morse and Finance Committee member James Austin at a Wednesday, April 22 meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — Special education costs have risen nearly $1 million for the upcoming year, and with a budget already stretched to the limit, Rochester is struggling to fund it. During a Wednesday, April 22 meeting between the Select Board, Financial...

Revote for Old Colony building project scheduled for June 20

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ROCHESTER — The proposed $288 million Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School building project will be brought back to voters on June 20. Voters in Rochester, Mattapoisett, Lakeville, Acushnet and Carver will once again be asked to...

Go fish! Reeling in the good times around the Tri-Town

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ROCHESTER — As the weather warms up, the sun is shining and freshwater fishermen are hitting the shores before saltwater fishing opens in May. Catching trout and bass, various fishermen around the South Coast cast their hooks into Tri-Town bodies...

Peer tutoring program fights childhood illiteracy

Sara Duane helps Emmerson with a worksheet during a peer tutoring session at the Learning Loft. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — Early Saturday morning, a pair of Old Rochester Regional High School students sit with their elementary school counterparts. Pencils scratch at printed-out worksheets, blue and red plastic letters are scattered within arms reach, and...

Two candidates race for Board of Health seat

Kathy Eklund and Michael King.

MATTAPOISETT — Two candidates are running for an open seat on the Board of Health, a one-year term vacated by a former member last year. After a debate between residents and officials about who should fill an open position on the Mattapoisett Board...

Old Rochester Regional High School students get a ‘cents’ of financial literacy

Old Rochester Regional High School students recently participated in the third annual Credit for Life Fair. Photo source: Old Rochester Regional School District

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School students recently received a hands-on lesson in financial literacy at the school’s third annual Credit for Life Fair. Juniors gathered in the auditorium on April 7 for a presentation by Cape Cod 5 on...

Elementary schoolers waste no time learning about food systems

An Old Hammondtown School student sorts through food waste. Photo source: Marion Institute

About one-third of all food produced globally is wasted, with even higher levels in the U.S. Elementary schoolers across the Old Rochester Regional School District audited their schools for such waste and learned about food systems through the...

Alpaca farm feeds April vacation fun

Goats eagerly await food from Jonathan Hurrie, 2, at Pine Meadow Alpacas on Saturday, April 18. Photos by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — Four-legged friends clambered at the fences restraining them, straining for a nibble of food as visitors at Pine Meadow Alpacas started off April vacation. The farm hosted its first open barnyard of the year Saturday, April 18 as...

Three candidates run for two Library Board of Trustees seats in Mattapoisett

Curtis Mendes, Jan Brodie and William Coquilette.

MATTAPOISETT — One incumbent and two newcomers have joined the race for two open seats on the Library Board of Trustees. William Coquilette is running for reelection as his first term comes to an end, with Curtis Mendes and Jan Brodie also eying...

Afterschool group gets outside to continue learning

Marianne Piche talks to members of the Marion Natural History Museum's afterschool group during a walk in Holmes Woods on Wednesday, April 8. Photo source: Elizabeth Leidhold

MARION — Learning doesn't stop when the last school bell rings for members of the Marion Natural History Museum's afterschool group. Kids learned about polinators and young forests during the group's two most recent meetings, joined by volunteer...

$18,000 for remote voting devices donated to Rochester

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ROCHESTER — Town officials were mystified when a box of 400 white, rectangular devices appeared at Town Hall. Upon discovering they were remote voting devices, Town Administrator Cameron Durant and Town Clerk Margie Barrows called the company that...

Madelyn Eitas' soccer team dedicates season in her memory

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ROCHESTER — Old Rochester Youth Soccer club players and organizers have dedicated this season to the memory of Madelyn Eitas, a Rochester 11-year-old who died in an avalanche in February. The middle schoolers will wear patches with their former...

Brush fire breaks out in Mattapoisett

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MATTAPOISETT — What started as a small controlled burn on a Mattapoisett resident’s property got out of hand around noon Saturday. The resident held a permit to burn brush, but the fire spread beyond the intended materials and brought the...

What can’t you get from the library? Mattapoisett library has seeds and more

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MATTAPOISETT — What do seeds, guitars and fishing poles all have in common? They can all be checked out at the library, of course. The Mattapoisett Free Public Library offers a variety of non-media objects for patrons as part of its library of...

New owner of Captain Hadley House begins renovations

From left: Joshua Fischer, Gerry Riker and Will Tifft stand outside the Captain Hadley House. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — A new owner of the historic Captain Hadley House, on the corner of Route 6 and Front Street, is making some big changes while keeping true to the building’s history. Joshua Fischer, who purchased the building housing his medical practice...

Tea time: Library hosts afternoon tea with Abigail Adams to support programs

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MARION — Around 90 participants filled the Marion Music Hall on Sunday, April 12 for tea and a show to all to support the Elizabeth Taber Library. Afternoon tea was served with sandwiches, scones, jam and other small treats. Guests were encouraged...

Marion General Store closes for uncertain amount of time

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MARION — After 50 years, the Marion General Store is closing for an uncertain amount of time. The store located at 140 Front St. closed officially on April 1. Jack Cheney, owner of the store, is stepping back for the time being. Cheney’s daughter...

Vehicle crashes into treeline, driver injured

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MARION — A car veered off the side of the road and crashed into the treeline on Mill Street on Sunday, April 5. Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony said the driver was injured and transported to an area hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries....

Search for new Marion harbormaster advances with aid from Select Board

The interview process for a new Marion harbormaster will begin later this week. File photo

MARION — After former Harbormaster Adam Murphy vacated the position early last month, Marion has been searching for candidates to fill the role. Of the 27 applicants, town officials have identified 16 possible contenders to review and plan to...

Potential new housing project discussed in Marion

New housing could come to the site of the former Lockheed Martin facility. File photo

MARION — Four years after Lockheed Martin closed its operations in Marion, the developer that owns the property has proposed a housing project on the site of the facility, located at 7 Barnabas Road. Sippican Holdings attended a presubmission...

Rochester proposes another draft of balanced budget

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ROCHESTER — With Spring Town Meeting on the horizon, Rochester officials are putting the finishing touches on the proposed fiscal budget for 2027. At a Select Board meeting on Monday, April 6 Rochester Town Administrator Cameron Durant presented...

Old Colony students launch fundraiser for NASA culinary competition

From left: Justin Ielo, Ryan Eby, Leah Hollenbeck, Scarlet Savaria, Elena Tan and Anthony Rampino created space-ready chicken tacos. Source: Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School

ROCHESTER — Culinary students at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School may have developed out-of-this-world chicken tacos. They will travel to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to present a dish they designed for astronauts...

Marion plans for the future by preserving the past

The Marion Historical Commission is working with a regional agency to create a preservation plan. Source: Marion Historical Commission.

MARION — The Marion Historical Commission is collaborating with a regional planning agency to better protect the town’s history. The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District selected Marion for a pilot program to develop a...

Tree-mendous artwork at annual Arbor Day poster competition

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MATTAPOISETT — Fifth grade Old Hammondtown Elementary artists sketched, painted and colored posters of trees to celebrate Arbor Day. A talented few were awarded for their hard work at the elementary school on Friday, April 3. For ten years, Old...

Basket-fulls of fun at ORR Easter festivities

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MATTAPOISETT — They got a Peep into their future. Students in the Early Education Program at Old Rochester Regional High School hosted their first community egg hunt Saturday, April 4 at the school. Children attending were able to participate in...

An eggs-cellent tradition lives on in Mattapoisett

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MATTAPOISETT — Two icons shared the stage at the annual Lions Club Easter Egg Hunt at Ned’s Point Saturday, April 4. The classic Ned’s Point Lighthouse and the Easter Bunny. The vintage seaside spot served as host as children chased down colorful,...

“Cocktail Guru” shakes up zero proof fun

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MATTAPOISETT — After working in bars and restaurants for years, Jonathan Pogash, the “Cocktail Guru” teaches people how to make zero proof cocktails also known as mocktails. On Tuesday, March 31 Pogash of Dartmouth held a non-alcoholic mocktail...

Construction begins on luxury housing development overlooking Weweantic River

Construction equipment stands ready to build houses at the waterfront development off Route 6 in Marion. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — After years of discussion and uncertainty surrounding a property near the Marion-Wareham border, construction has begun on a new housing development at 78 Wareham Road. Toll Brothers, a Pennsylvania-based developer, is constructing 48...

Old Rochester Environmental Club breaks down plan to save food waste

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MATTAPOISETT — The Environmental Club will put worms to work as Old Rochester Regional High School introduces a new composting program. Echo Hollis presented the club’s plan for a composting program to the School Committee on Thursday, March 26....

Old Rochester school district operating budget tight but approved

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MATTAPOISETT — Funding for the Old Rochester Regional School District’s facilities and transportation departments have been slashed to balance the 2027 budget. Howard Barber, the school’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations,...

Marion appoints election warden

Elisabeth Horan, right, is sworn in at the Marion Police Department on Tuesday, March 31. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — With town elections quickly approaching, Marion appointed an election warden to oversee voters choosing candidates for the Select Board and various committees across town. Elisabeth Horan, of Fairhaven, was appointed for the role and sworn...