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Old Rochester ‘Walks a Mile in My Shoes’ for National Suicide Prevention Month

(from left to right) Junior Sage Elia, social worker Rosemary Williams, school psychologist Julie Andrade, social worker Kerri Dowdall, junior Abby Desorcy, junior Zadie Goyette and junior Ava Ross-Sinkler at Old Rochester's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes'

MATTAPOISETT — Shouldering heavy backpacks and personal belongings, approximately 65 Old Rochester Regional High School students and over 10 faculty members embarked on a suicide prevention walk on Tuesday, Sept. 23 and Sept. 30. Student members of...

Rochester resident named Woman to Watch by Massachusetts Society of CPAs

Mitzi Keating a Rochester accountant who has been awarded a Woman to Watch by the Massachusetts Board of CPAs. Source: Hannah Naranjo

ROCHESTER — Rochester resident Mitzi Keating was selected as a 2025 Woman to Watch Award by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants. The award recognizes professionals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to their...

Driver arrested after Saturday night chase in Mattapoisett

A Mattapoisett police cruiser. Soure: Mattapoisett Police Department

MATTAPOISETT — Connecticut resident Nicholas Kreidel, 19, was arrested Saturday, Oct. 4 after driving recklessly in Mattapoisett. At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Oct. 4, Officer Ben Church was traveling north on North Street when a blue Honda Accord...

Rochester will have two separate ballots for the Old Colony project vote

Map of the proposed Old Colony project construction. Source: Old Colony Building Project website

ROCHESTER — On Monday, Oct. 6, the Rochester Select Board has voted to have two separate ballots for the Nov. 18 special election regarding the Old Colony project proposal. Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School has proposed a $288...

Wareham man arrested in Marion on several gun, drug charges

Marion Police recovered two firearms, ammunition, and cocaine during an OUI investigation on Saturday. Photo Source: Marion Police Department

MARION — A Wareham man was arrested in Marion Saturday, Oct. 4 on gun, drug and operating under the influence charges. Brian M. Ewan, 67, of Wareham was arrested at Cumberland Farms in Marion after Marion Police responded to a report of a man...

Changing tides: Shellfishing solutions presented at summit

Seth Garfield (back) asks a question and Vincent Furtado (front) listens. Photos by Mari Huglin

NEW BEDFORD — Frustrated South Coast shellfish farmers continue to struggle with strict policies implemented by the FDA. Government representatives and local initiatives look to change the tide. The Marion Institute’s fifth annual Food Policy...

Harvesting health at East Over Farm festival

Rochester resident Eric Hedblom of East Over Farm drives a tractor, taking fall festival attendees on a hayride. Photos by Grace Ann Natanawan

ROCHESTER — Fall was in the air at East Over Farm’s autumn festival, celebrating health and wellness alongside pumpkins and ponies on Sunday, Oct. 5 in Rochester. “It was just a way to bring the community together, open up the farm and have a fall...

Mattapoistett 'indefinitely postpones' vote on Select Board expansion

Over 500 Mattapoisett voters pack into the Old Rochester Regional Gymnasium for Special Town Meeting. Photo by Grace Ann Natanawan

MATTAPOISETT — Over 500 Mattapoisett residents packed into the Old Rochester Regional High School Gymnasium for Special Town Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 4, where voters ultimately decided to “indefinitely postpone” the discussion and conclude the...

A gourd time at Old Colony Fall Family Festival

Kieran Adams gets a harness on before ascending the rock wall. Photos by Mari Huglin

ROCHESTER — Kids raced from laser tag to a mechanical bull to a towering climbing wall while students and vendors sold handcrafted items from their booths at the fifth annual Old Colony Fall Family Festival. Debra Quin, the president of the Old...

‘It’s always for Susan’: Rochester resident honors friend in Jimmy Fund Walk

(From left to right) Kara Pernice, Deborah (Pernice) Duffy, Rick Duffy, Donna Tocci, Sue Kindregan and Nora McKenna finish the Jimmy Fund Walk at the marathon finish line in 2016. Source: Donna Tocci

ROCHESTER — For Rochester resident Donna Tocci, the annual Jimmy Fund Walk celebrates the light of hope and joy amid tragedy. “It is more about celebration and joy and positivity that we’re all helping to create by helping to raise funds for this,”...

Old Rochester adapts to new tech with flexible AI use, maintaining strict phone policy

Old Rochester Regional High School students celebrating the start of the 2025-26 school year. Source: Old Rochester Regional High School Facebook

MATTAPOISETT — “Essentially, we're trying to teach kids responsible technology use,” said Mike Devoll, principal of Old Rochester Regional High School. Old Rochester is adapting to an era of new technology with monitored implementation of AI as a...

Construction begins on Main Street and Hiller Street in Marion

Construction signs on Main Street and Spring Street in Marion.

MARION — Beginning on Thursday, Oct.2, reclamation work and structure adjustments will begin on Main Street, from Spring Street to Water Street, and Hiller Street from Front Street to Main Street. Installation of permanent pavement will happen...

Marion requests volunteers for 175th anniversary

MARION — In 2027, the Town of Marion will celebrate its 175th anniversary. The Select Board is now seeking volunteers to join the 175th Anniversary Committee. The committee will plan and organize events throughout the year to honor Marion’s history,...

Two motor vehicle thefts early Monday morning

MARION — Two vehicles were presumably stolen in Marion during the early hours of Monday, Sept. 29, in the area of Village Drive and Fieldstone Lane. The first vehicle was located in New Bedford several hours later through the motor vehicle’s...

Cranberry bonanza: Harvest season hits Hartley Family Farm

Cranberries are wet-harvested from bogs at the Hartley Family Farm. Photos by Grace Ann Natanawan

ROCHESTER — With over 11 acres of bogs, three varieties of cranberries and two brothers at the helm of the operation, the Hartley Family Farm began their 24th harvest season in Rochester after a summer of preparation. Located in Rochester, former...

Marion Community Electricity Aggregation renewed until November 2028

MARION — The Town of Marion has renewed its Community Electricity Aggregation program — with new, lowered prices in place from November 2025 to November 2028. The Marion Community Electricity Aggregation program is a group purchasing program that...

Temporary playground closure at Center School

Students play on the Center School Playground that will be closed for the next few weeks for resurfacing construction.

MATTAPOISETT — There will be temporary closures of the Center School Playground starting Oct. 1 to accommodate a resurfacing project. The Center School Playground, located at 17 Barstow St. and will be closed for approximately two weeks. Center...

Mattapoisett prepares for Special Town Meeting

Town Hall File Photo.

MATTAPOISETT — With only one issue on the warrant, Mattapoisett residents are preparing to debate the expansion of the Select Board at Special Town Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 4. Since the expansion from three to five members was signed into law by...

What voters should know about the Old Colony Building Project

Building plans for propsed new Old Colony building. Source: Old Colony Building Project

Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School has proposed a $288 million project to build a new high school. A vote on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. will take place asking voters from Rochester, Mattapoisett, Lakeville, Carver and...

Tri-town outperforms MCAS state standards, still remains below pre-pandemic scores

Old Rochester test scores compared to the state average

2025 MCAS scores in the tri-town are above state standards but results were lower than scores in 2024 and 2019, before the pandemic. The Old Rochester School District met or exceeded state standards in all subjects. The Massachusetts Comprehensive...

Seafood setbacks: Tri-town shellfishers at risk due to pollution, strict regulations

Dale Leavitt with a handful of oyster seed.

MATTAPOISETT — Dale Leavitt, owner of Blue Stream Shellfish, was closed for 180 days in 2024 due to stricter regulation of commercial shellfishing in Massachusetts. It “pretty much killed business,” he remembers. “We were losing about $10,000 a...

Bill Belichick attends Tabor Academy football game

In this photo taken by Tabor sophomore Reya Hovan, Bill Belichick, second from the left, stands to watch the Tabor Academy football game.

MARION — Former New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick attended a Tabor Academy football game Friday, Sept. 26. Belichick coached the Patriots for 24 seasons, winning six Super Bowls with the team. Belichick is now the head coach at the...

Road construction in Marion this Tuesday

MARION — The Marion Department of Public Works will begin reclamation work and structure adjustments for roadway improvements on Tuesday Sept. 30. Work will be on the following roadways: Delano Road (Point Road traffic lights to Cross Neck Road),...

We're looking for the next generation

Calling all Tri-town students: Sippican Week is seeking news articles, opinion pieces, photos and more! Graphic by Andrew Griffith

Wanted: Students to help Sippican Week -- in any one of many ways. We aim to constantly provide news about people, events and issues in Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. That’s local people of all ages. Events of interest to everyone from toddlers...

Interested in learning a trade? Head to the Upper Cape Tech open house

Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School is inviting interested eighth graders and their families to an open house of the school Saturday Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The school is located at 220 Sandwich Road in Bourne and is open to kids...

Mattapoisett to potentially pay over $8.5 million for new Old Colony building

Building plans for propsed new Old Colony building. Source: Old Colony Building Project

MATTAPOISETT — Representatives from Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School presented plans to the Mattapoisett Select Board for a potential $288 million campus upgrade. Old Colony representatives, including Superintendent Aaron...

Old Rochester receives national recognition from Special Olympics

MATTAPOISETT — Special Olympics North America is awarding Old Rochester Regional High School with a National Banner recognition for inclusive sports program for students with and without intellectual disabilities. Old Rochester is one of 17 schools...

Marion requests voluntary water conservation amid mild drought

MARION — Upon receiving notice of Level 1 Mild Drought conditions in the Southeast Drought Region of Massachusetts, the Marion Department of Public Works is requesting that residents follow voluntary water conservation efforts. The department is...

Old Colony superintendents through the decades share school’s 50 year history and evolution

ROCHESTER — Before Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School opened its doors in 1975, an unavoidable challenge had to be overcome — water had to be found. Land had been bought and cleared, and well-water professionals were hired to find...

The toll of chemical spraying on my father’s honey bee hives

Written by Old Rochester Regional High School junior and Rochester resident Miah Motta, this article examines the impact of pesticides and chemical spraying on her father’s beehives. Ryan Motta, her father, has cared for beehives on his property in...

Lights out: Marion residents file complaints of Maritime Center brightness

MARION — “I thought I was looking at Yankee Stadium coming into this harbor, and the glare that was coming across the channel was unbelievable,” said Marion resident Ray Cullum, explaining his gripes with the Maritime Center lighting. On Tuesday,...