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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…

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…

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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...

Railcar full of construction waste catches fire in Rochester

The Rochester Fire Department put out a fire at the SEEMASS facility on Saturday, March 28. Photos source: RFD

ROCHESTER — Construction scraps headed to a waste disposal facility by train caught fire Saturday afternoon. The Rochester Fire Department arrived at SEMASS, the region’s waste-to-energy plant, around noon of March 28 to find a railcar behind the...

Rochester Select Board reviews proposed cuts to budget

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ROCHESTER — Struggling with balancing their budget, Rochester reviewed the areas where possible budget cuts could take place. Rochester Town Administrator Cameron Durant presented a proposal of cuts to balance the 2027 budget plan for Rochester at...

Rochester faces budget shortfalls, looks to personnel cuts to close gap

Cutting to town personnel positions are likely in order to balance Rochester's budget. File photo

ROCHESTER — Financial constraints, due in large part to rising costs and stagnant revenue, will likely force Rochester officials to cut jobs across town to balance its budget for the upcoming year. As Spring Town Meeting looms closer, the town must...

Old Rochester, Acushnet reach tuition deal

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MATTAPOISETT — After three months of negotiations Old Rochester Regional School District and the Acushnet school district have reached a tuition deal. Both schools agreed to a tuition deal at an Old Rochester School Committee meeting Thursday,...

Mattapoisett explores alternative day for Town Meeting in attempt to attract more voters

Mattapoisett residents cast their votes at a previous Town Meeting. File photo

MATTAPOISETT — In an effort to encourage higher attendance at Town Meeting, the Mattapoisett Select Board has suggested moving the meeting from a Monday evening to a Saturday afternoon. Among the approximately 7,000 people who live in Mattapoisett,...

Mattapoisett family foundation honors son’s memory through kindness

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MATTAPOISETT — When 26-year-old Noah Curtis Greany was struck by a car and died in January 2025, his family channeled their grief into a foundation in his memory. The Noah Greany Foundation fundraises for causes that were close to his heart and...

Marion Special Town Meeting approves land transfer, additional liquor license

From left: Select Board members John Hoagland, Norman Hills, Randy Parker and Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman at the Special Town Meeting on Monday, March 23. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — Voters quickly took care of business at a Special Town Meeting on Monday, March 23 at Sippican Elementary School. Two town departments swapped land to aid development of a bike and walking trail known as the shared use path and created an...

Rochester Memorial student gets golden ticket

Tommy Cahill was recently selected as a Feinstein Foundation golden ticket winner. Photo source: Old Rochester Regional School District

MATTAPOISETT — Rochester Memorial School fourth grader Tommy Cahill recently won funds for his school and a charity of his choice through the Feinstein Foundation. The school received a $2,000 grant on Tommy’s behalf. He chose to donate the...

Tri-County Symphonic Band honors broadway legends in spring concert

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MARION — Attendees of all ages filled the halls at the performing arts center at Tabor Academy on Sunday, March 22 as the Tri-County Symphonic Band celebrated broadway legends. Philip Sanborn, the music director said that the band makes symphonic...

Construction on Route 6 bridge begins

Cars travel the narrowed Route 6 bridge across the Weweantic River amidst ongoing construction. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — After weather-related delays last month, construction has begun on the bridge connecting Wareham and Marion on Route 6. The $51 million MassDOT project has been in the works for years, and after multiple delays the aging structure spanning...

Marion native to run Boston Marathon in remembrance his father

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MARION — By the time he was 5 years old, Geoffrey Noonan had entered the world of running as he competed in the Marion Mile, a short series of races where kids ran a timed mile or half mile. When he got older, Noonan joined his high school’s cross...

Annual Chapter 90 program funds for infrastructure improvement decrease

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ROCHESTER — Every year, towns across Massachusetts receive state funding for infrastructure improvement projects and educational programs through the Chapter 90 program. The Rochester Select Board announced this year’s total at its Monday, March 16...

Marion EMS rescue dog trapped in ice

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MARION — A black labrador fell through ice at Washburn Park early Thursday, March 12. The Marion Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services rescued the dog, which had wandered across the marsh and pond near Point Road. Marion Fire Chief Brian...

Vivian Jones’s memory lives on through community fundraising

Classmates and friends surround Vivian Jones, center, at the June 2025 Kids Pan-Mass Challenge, a bike-a-thon that raises money for cancer research and treatment. Photos source: Jennifer Jones.

ROCHESTER — After Vivian Jones was diagnosed with cancer in May 2024, she spent 219 nights at the Boston Children’s Hospital with her mother Jennifer Jones by her side. Jones said the hospital and Hole In the Wall Gang Camp — an organization that...

Two new Rochester police officers sworn in

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ROCHESTER — Two new patrol officers, Paul Douglas and Christopher Coyman, were sworn into the Rochester Police Department at a Select Board meeting Monday, March 16. Rochester Police Chief Michael Assad said two positions had recently come open...

Old Rochester expands disc golf course with awarded grants

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MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School has expanded its disc golf course on campus. During the 2024-25 school year, the Old Rochester Regional Tri-Town Education Foundation awarded a $2,000 grant to support the continued development of...

Six candidates run for three Mattapoisett Select Board openings

From left and top: Eric Beauregard, Frances-Feliz Kearns, James Harlfinger, Judy Mooney, Ned Kaiser and Nicole Doyon Lynch.

MATTAPOISETT — After Governor Maura Healey signed a bill last year expanding the Mattapoisett Select Board, two new seats are up for election this year along with a third open position. Six candidates are currently running for these three seats,...

Three residents compete for one open Select Board position in Marion

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MARION — Three residents are competing for an open seat on the Marion Select Board. Norman Hills is up for reelection while Toby Burr and TJ Walker, who have both held Select Board seats in the past, oppose him. Norman Hills said he is running...

Marion Harbormaster position vacant once more

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MARION — In less than three years, the Marion harbormaster position is once again vacant. Town officials are looking for someone to fill the role after former Harbormaster Adam Murphy left. Murphy was appointed in October 2023 after serving as the...

New cafe and bakery coming to Mattapoisett

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MATTAPOISETT — Resident Vanessa DosSantos presented a plan for her new bakery and cafe, Eden Coffee and Bakery, to the Mattapoisett Select Board on Tuesday, March 10. DosSantos is planning to open the cafe where Poi Market was located at 33 County...

Marion selects temporary Planning Board member

Sean Sweeny was chosen as a temporary member of the Marion Planning Board on Tuesday, March 3. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — After interviewing several candidates during a Tuesday, March 3 joint meeting with the Planning and Select boards, Sean Sweeney has been appointed to fill a Planning Board opening. He will serve on the board until May 15, when voters will...

Barbara Lee appointed to Rochester School Committee

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ROCHESTER — A once-vacant Rochester position on the Old Rochester Regional School Committee has been temporarily filled until town elections this spring. Barbara Lee was appointed at a joint meeting between the Rochester Select Board and Rochester...

Community mourns death of Madelyn Eitas, 11-year-old who died following Utah avalanche

A line of community members stretched out the door to give their condolences to the Eitas family.

ACUSHNET — Family, friends and community members filled Century House, a banquet hall, on Sunday, March 1 to memorialize Madelyn Eitas, an 11-year-old girl from Rochester who died during a skiing trip in Utah. Many people who attended her...

Snow cleanup continues as weather warms up the Tri-Town

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Roads are clear and power has been restored in the Tr-Town since a historic blizzard hit the South Coast this week, but school closures and snow cleanup continues. Tri-Town residents and officials are working to remove snow and return to normal....

Tri-Town residents weather the storm as blizzard ends

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The Tri-Town weathered approximately 24 inches of snow from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service, and residents have stayed positive through power outages, snow covered roads and winter winds. Jody...

Car catches fire in Rochester

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ROCHESTER — After a driver smelled a burning odor while driving in Rochester, they pulled into Adrian’s Package Store’s parking lot, located at 711 Mary’s Pond Road. The Nissan Altima began smoking once in the lot and caught fire Sunday, Feb. 21....

Marion Warming Center open

MARION — A warming and charging center will be open at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Sippican School. Resdients are welcome to come warm up and charge their devices. No pets are allowed at this time unless they are service animals....

Bitter snow and wind shuts down Tri-Town

Many roads remain unplowed during this blizzard, making travel with typical emergency vehicles difficult. Photo source: Marion Fire/EMS

This winter’s biggest snowstorm yet has covered Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester with over two feet of snow, halted travel and caused power outages. Governor Maura Healey issued a travel ban across several South Coast areas Monday afternoon,...

School closures, parking bans and Sunday storm forecast

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Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester are expected to be hit by blizzard conditions closing schools and starting parking bans beginning Sunday, Feb. 22. The National Weather Service blizzard warning remains in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. to...

Blizzard conditions expected from Sunday through Monday in Tri-Town

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The National Weather Service has issued a warning for blizzard like conditions beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22 until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 a.m. Mattapoisett has put a parking ban in place for Sunday, Feb. 22 until Monday, Feb. 23 to allow...

UPDATE: Rochester 11-year-old Madelyn Eitas died in avalanche Thursday

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ROCHESTER — An 11-year-old girl from Rochester died in an avalanche while on a trip to Utah. Madelyn Eitas, a student at Rochester Memorial School, was with her family during February break at Brighton Ski Resort when she was trapped in an...

Middleboro teacher, outdoor educator promotes stewardship with Sippican Lands Trust

Alan Harris is the former president of the Sippican Lands Trust and an educator at Middleboro High School. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — When Alan Harris isn’t in the classroom teaching about nature, he can be found on Sippican Lands Trust trails caring for nature and advocating for stewardship and connection. Harris has worked with the Sippican Lands Trust for over 30...

New Marion town clerk appointed

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MARION — After interviewing four candidates for the role, the Select Board chose Katrina Desroches, of Westport, as the new town clerk. Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said the hiring committee unanimously selected Desroches, and she was...

A new officer joins the Rochester Police force

Jaclyn Kaulback, left, was sworn in Tuesday, Feb. 17 at a Select Board meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department’s newest officer officially joined the force Tuesday evening. Jaclyn Kaulback was appointed and sworn in at a Feb. 17 Select Board meeting on the recommendation of Police Chief Michael Assad. He said he...

Rochester driver hits snowbank, causing vehicle rollover

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ROCHESTER — A car flipped over after hitting a snow bank Sunday morning at the intersection of High Street and Looks Mill Lane. The driver sustained minor injuries, and was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. The Rochester Police and Fire...

State Sen. Kelly Dooner announces reelection run

State Sen. Kelly Dooner is seeking reelection. Photo source: Dooner campaign

State Sen. Kelly Dooner has announced she will be rerunning for a seat in the Massachusetts Senate. Dooner, a Republican, was first elected in the November 2024 election. She won the seat Democrat Marc Pacheco had held for 30 years after the...

Birders of a feather flock together for Valentine’s Day birdwatching

Bundled-up visitors brought binoculars to spot birds from afar at the Feb. 14 event. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — A group of bird lovers braved the winter cold to birdwatch at several locations across Marion. They joined the Sippican Lands Trust and the Nasketucket Bird Club for a “love bird” walk Feb. 14, visiting coastal locations to spot species...

New Department of Public Works opens for operation in Marion

State Rep. Mark Sylvia, left, and state Sen. Kelly Dooner attended the Feb. 13 opening of the new Department of Public Works building. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — Thirty years after the project was initially suggested, Marion celebrated the opening of the Department of Public Works Operations Building. Town and state officials joined residents and DPW workers to celebrate a ribbon cutting ceremony...