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15% of Tri-Town voters have already voted early

By Oct. 23, 623 voters had already returned mail-in ballots.

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, about 15% of Tri-Town voters have already cast ballots for statewide and local races. …

Marion residents celebrate a branch of history

People gather around a 200-year-old red oak tree on Thursday, Oct. 22. Photo source: Sue Maxwell Lewis

MARION — A group of tree lovers said goodbye to a 200-year-old red oak tree in town on Thursday, Oct. 22. Rot has been found on the centuries-old plant, and the tree warden and…

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Marion, Mattapoisett receive road safety grants

The Marion and Mattapoisett Police Departments received state grants to increase road safety. The grants are part of a state-wide disbursement of $13 million in federal funding to help make roads safer across Massachusetts by preventing crashes,...

ORR receives $50,000 career-preparedness grant

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School recently received a $50,000 state grant to strengthen its career-preparedness program. The funding is part of a state-wide effort to expand and strengthen programs that provide high school students...

Mattapoisett Congregational Church collects food for neighbors in need

MATTAPOISETT — The Mattapoisett Congregational Church collected nearly 800 pounds of food at its most recent food drive Thursday, Oct. 15. The church’s mission team has collected over 1,200 pounds of food for Damien’s Pantry in Wareham in the last...

Marion warns against scam emails impersonating Planning Board

MARION — Scammers have been sending emails impersonating the Marion Planning Board, and the town warns residents to be cautious and report any fraudulent activities. These emails may use town letterhead, employee names, email signatures, and...

Neighbors urge Marion to demolish blighted residence

Neighbors have raised concerns about the abandoned house at 28 Pitcher Street. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — A dilapidated building on 28 Pitcher St., left in disrepair for decades, is cause for concern for several neighbors. A group of residents who live near the property appeared before the Select Board on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to request the town...

Marion receives $2 million for water main construction

MARION — Marion was awarded $2.09 million from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The funds came from the HousingWorks Infrastructure program and are going toward the Wareham Road water main project on Route 6....

Girl Scouts learn from a Broadway star

Charlee with Joomin Hwang. Submitted photo

MARION — Marion's Girl Scout Troop 67047 lived the Broadway experience in New York City. The troop met with Joomin Hwang, a broadway actor, for a workshop learning a verse and choreography to "Larger than Life" from the show "& Juliet." The girls...

Ocean researcher brings audience under the surface to learn about the deep sea

Stace Beaulieu, right, spoke at the Marion Institute on Oct. 16. Photo source: Eileen Marum

MARION — Researcher Stace Beaulieu brought her audience beneath the waves to learn about deep-sea exploration, life around hydrothermal vents and her adventures aboard research submersible Alvin. She spoke about her research career to a full house...

Falling into autumn with the Natural History Museum

The museum's afterschool group was rewarded with a rainbow after completing their fall activity. Photo source: Natural History Museum

MARION — Children experience a colorful autumn day through a Natural History Museum program on Oct. 14. The museum’s afterschool group learned about why leaves on deciduous trees change colors in the fall. The group conducted an experiment to draw...

Food education grows on Frogfoot Farm

Staff from the Westport Schools Food Service Department harvest produce on Frogfoot Farm during an Oct. 7 visit. Photos source: Marion Institute

WAREHAM — The Marion Institute led staff from the Westport Schools Food Service Department on a tour of Frogfoot Farm as they learned about the connections between agriculture, nutrition and their work in food service. Nate Sander, the institute’s...

Rochester facilities manager assumed parks responsibilities

The Select Board at its meeting Monday, Oct. 19. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

ROCHESTER — Facilities manager Andrew Daniel has assumed responsibilities for upkeep of the town’s parks. The town’s Facilities Department maintains and handles repairs to town municipal buildings. Town Administrator Cameron Durant recently...

ORR students show their bulldog spirit at Homecoming pep rally

Senior students wave their hands in the air during their class skit, which had a "Toy Story" theme. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni

MATTAPOISETT — Toward the end of the school day on Oct. 16, Old Rochester Regional High School's students were ready to kick off their Homecoming weekend. The students were dressed in cheer uniforms, school colors and some even donned costumes from...

Road improvement work done on multiple Marion streets

MARION — The town repaired crack sealing on several roads between Oct. 19 and Oct. 21. A crack seal is a minimally disruptive surface treatment designed to prevent deterioration of a street. It includes applying a mixture of asphalt cement and...

Front Street sidewalk project will begin on Oct. 19

MARION — The Marion Department of Public Works will begin sidewalk reconstruction improvements on Front Street on Monday, Oct. 19. The project will span from 182 Front St. to the intersection of Front Street and Vine Street. The contractor, Hatch...

Upper Cape Tech earns top spot in Massachusetts

BOURNE — Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical Schools ranked number one in the state for vocational cooperative education participation for the third year in a row. For the 2025-26 school year, 54% of eligible Upper Cape Tech students participated in...

Old Colony PTO Brings Family Fun to Rainy Day

Sarah Jakes and William Santos visiting the PTO booth. Photos by Benjamin Martins

ROCHESTER — The dreary weather on Oct. 17 may have kept some people indoors, but for Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School’s parent-teacher organization, it was a day to celebrate the season by welcoming families to a day of games,...

Rochester cranberry harvest is in full swing

Woody Hartley, surrounded by cranberries, talks to a group visiting the farm Thursday, Oct. 15. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — A ribbon of red streaks across a flooded bog, growing ever wider. A machine drives in laps around the rectangular field, knocking ripe cranberries off the vine and sending them bobbing up to the water’s surface. It’s the first step in...

Rabid raccoon found in Marion, health officials urge precautions

MARION — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has notified Marion officials a raccoon from the town has tested positive for rabies. The animal, found around the water tower on Point Toad, had been acting oddly and was sent to the state...

Elizabeth Taber Library Welcomes new young adult librarian

MARION — The Elizabeth Taber Library recently hired a new young adult librarian. Alex Correia joined the library this month after earning his Master’s of library and information science and working in several libraries. Correia discovered his...

Dump truck crashes on highway near Mattapoisett

A dump truck crashed into the woods early Thursday morning. Photos source: Mattapoisett Fire Department

MATTAPOISETT — A dump truck crashed off the side of Interstate 195 early Thursday morning, trapping the driver. The Mattapoisett Fire Department arrived at the crash near westbound mile marker 30 at around 2 a.m. on Oct. 15 and rescued the trapped...

Macallister in the hunt for seat in Congress

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MATTAPOISETT — He has been a Mattapoisett select board member and a reality TV star. Now Tyler Macallister has set his sights on a new position: representative in the U.S. Congress. Macallister is the Republican contender for the 9th Congressional...

Mattapoisett considers search for new Town Hall location

From left: Select Board members Jordan Collyer, Jodi Bauer and Nicole Doyon Lynch at the Tuesday, Oct. 13 Select Board meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — The Select Board and Capital Planning Committee are considering replacing the current Town Hall, in desperate need of repairs, with either an existing or new structure. A study conducted by Yarmouth-based Catalyst Architects found...

Marion Fire Department charges up to teach fire safety

Captain Brooks Wilson demonstrates how to put out a cooking fire at the Oct. 9 open house. Photos source: Marion Fire Department

MARION — The Marion Fire Department opened its doors to the community Friday, Oct. 9 for an open house teaching kids and their families how to reduce fire risk and stay safe. This year’s theme was “Charge Into Fire Safety, Safe Charging Is A...

‘I’m so happy we have it back’: Cheer returns to ORR

Old Rochester Regional High School’s new cheer team performs its first half-time routine on Sept. 11. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni

MATTAPOISETT — A group of 17 girls step out onto the football field, hair carefully pulled back with an ORR bow. The crowd is roaring behind them. After a few years off the football field, cheerleaders are back on the sidelines at Old Rochester...

Mattapoisett Police Department mourns death of former chief

Former Mattapoisett Police Chief James Moran. Photo source: Mattapoisett Police Department

MATTAPOISETT — Former Mattapoisett Police Chief James Moran died Monday, Oct. 5 after leading the department for 20 years. Moran joined the force in 1963 and rose to the police chief position in 1981, which he held until he retired in 2001....

Hiller Fuels sold to Falmouth Energy

MARION — Falmouth Energy has purchased Marion-based home heating company Hiller Fuels, which had been family owned since 1887. The company will now operate as the Hiller Division of Falmouth Energy from the same location on Front Street. The same...

Learning blooms at mushroom walk

Adam Korejeve shows walk participants a mushroom. Photos source: Eileen Marum

ROCHESTER — Adam Korejeve and Karen Hidalgo led a mushroom walk through Shoolman Preserve, showing participants the many kinds of fungi that grow there and teaching them about their life cycle. Some fungi, called saprophytic fungi, feed on dead...

Charity gala raises money for students, school programs

School community members gathered at Century House in Acushnet for a charity gala. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

ACUSHNET — Dressed to the nines, Tri-Town community members gathered for a charity gala on Oct. 8 organized by the Tri-Town Education Foundation, which raised money for Old Rochester Regional High School’s student programs and activities. In...

Rochester halts use of Flock cameras for at least a month

Halima Tiffany speaks to the Select Board at the Monday, Oct. 5 meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — After a lengthy discussion with a group of concerned residents, the Select Board halted the use of Flock cameras for the next month. Member Adam Murphy proposed the move after attendees voiced their opposition to the surveillance...

Applications for Bulldog Pride Alumni Association grant program now open

MATTAPOISETT — The Bulldog Pride Alumni Association is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 grant cycle that supports initiatives at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School and Old Rochester Regional High School. The program is open to...

Rochester seeks input on community electricity program

ROCHESTER — The town is seeking community input for its Rochester Community Electricity program through Oct. 31. A revised plan, outlining how the town will manage the program, procure future electricity supply, communicate with customers and more...

Construction work to begin in Marion

MARION — The Marion Department of Public Works will begin road work in four areas on Monday, Oct. 5. The construction work will be on Point Road, from West Drive to Delano Road; Spring Street, from the Old Landing Cemetery to the fire station;...

Young foresters study Marion's ecosystem

The Marion Natural History Museum went on a foresting trip with state forester James Rassman. Photos source: Marion Natural History Museum

MARION — A fall afterschool group from the Natural History Museum went on a foresting trip in Holmes Woods to identify trees and learn about Marion's ecosystem. On Sept. 30, state forester James Rassman led the group on identifying several tree...

Fairhaven man indicted for murder of Mattapoisett man, weapons charges

Officials investigate 10 Harbor Road, where the shooting occurred on June 30. Photo by David Curran

BROCKTON – Nicholas Botella, a 33-year-old Fairhaven man who was arrested in July in connection to a fatal shooting of a Mattapoisett man, has been indicted on six charges including murder. A Plymouth County grand jury indicted Bottella on Friday,...

Cyclists begin, continue Buzzards Bay Coalition Watershed ride in Mattapoisett

Bikers begin their ride.

MATTAPOISETT — Bikers of all ages flocked to Red Brick Farm on Sunday, Oct. 4 for lunch and rest along their way to Falmouth as part of the Buzzards Bay Coalition Watershed ride. Riders pedaled through Mattapoisett and Rochester in support of the...

Federal, state grants help Marion Fire Department update equipment

The Marion Fire Department received a grant for a brush breaker and new gear earlier this year. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — A new heavy-duty firefighting vehicle is among several new pieces of equipment the Marion Fire Department recently purchased through state and federal grants it has received. Fire Chief Brian Jackvony credited teamwork between Fire...

Construction well underway on new Uncle Jon’s location

Construction on the former gas station on Route 6 is expected to be complete by spring 2027. Photos by Grace Roche

MARION — The long-empty former Cumberland Farms on Route 6 will soon be the new home of Uncle Jon’s Coffee. Construction is quickly progressing at the 413 Wareham Road location, adjacent to the coffee shop’s current location. A crew has been busy...

Route 6 water main work continues

Route 6 construction work is full steam ahead as East Coast Construction works to install a water main. A water main is a large underground pipe that carries potable water from a treatment facility to homes and businesses throughout the community....

Heavy rain doesn’t stop Rochester COA from celebrating community

The Showstoppers performed during the Rochester Council on Aging's Block Party. Photo source: Kelly Zucco

ROCHESTER — Bad weather may have put a damper on the Rochester Council on Aging’s block party, but plenty of people still attended the Sept. 26 event. The COA held the party indoors on Saturday, with a shortened runtime and fewer activities....

ORR School Committee starts off year with nearly $300,000 in grants

From left: committee members James Muse, Peter Damien McCann, Robin Rounseville and Betsy Stewart at a Thursday, Oct. 1 Old Rochester Regional School Committee meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional School District is starting the school year with nearly $300,000 in additional funding. The Old Rochester Regional School Committee approved $277,468 in grants for community engagement, career support and...

Wareham to receive federal transportation funding

Wareham will receive $14.71 million in federal transportation funding for construction work on Interstate 195. Mattapoisett, Marion and Wareham will receive $14.71 million for resurfacing work on I-195, which includes resurfacing and preserving...

Marion and Mattapoisett to receive federal transportation funding

The shared use path will connect Mattapoisett and Wareham.

Marion and Mattapoisett will receive about $19.5 million in federal transportation funding for a bicycle and walking path and construction work on Interstate 195. Governor Maura Healey announced Sept. 24 that the state had secured $153 million in...

Over a decade later, Rochester woman continues fundraising legacy

Most of Team SuPernice at the 2025 walk. Photo source: Michael Sparks Keegan

ROCHESTER — In the last 10 years, Donna Tocci has walked countless steps and helped raise over $80,000 in memory of a friend as part of the Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber. Tocci is the captain of Team SuPernice, named after her late friend Susan...

New generation leads Jonathan Sprouts to growth

Several varieties of sprouts grow inside a greenhouse at the Johnathan Sprouts farm in Rochester. Photos by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — Liz Reilley spent her middle and high school summers packing sprouts for a penny a bag on her family’s Rochester farm. Fifty years since she started working there, she’s now at the helm of Jonathan Sprouts and continues the family...

New Elizabeth Taber Library director works to integrate community with library

Kayla King recently became the Elizabeth Taber Library's new executive director. Photo by Grace Roche

MARION — Kayla King sees the Elizabeth Taber Library as so much more than a place to borrow books. Her goal as the library’s new executive director is to help people realize how many resources are available, from social opportunities to...

RMS bathroom controversy continues to dominate School Committee public comments

Luis Rivera, left, speaks during a Thursday, Sept. 24 School Committee meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — Public comment during the first School Committee meeting of the year largely focused on ongoing frustrations over how administration has responded. Most comments during the Thursday, Sept. 24 meeting either supported or criticized the...

Rodeo returns to Rochester

A rider shoots a gun during the Sept. 19 rodeo. Photo by Benjamin Martins

ROCHESTER — Against the backdrop of a setting sun, 1,500 people gathered to view The New England Rodeo’s return to the Rochester Country Fairgrounds Saturday, Sept. 19. The bulls and barrels rodeo includes multiple events for all ages. Female riders...

ORR football coach to open restaurant this fall

The Select Board approved a common victualler, alcohol and entertainment license for Kokobo's Coastal Cantina at its Sept. 22 meeting. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

MATTAPOISETT — Old Rochester Regional High School's head football coach Bryce Guilbeault will soon lead a very different kind of team. Guilbeault is opening a new restaurant at 20 County Road, which was formerly What the Taco. His new business took...

Tri-Town students perform above state average in MCAS for most subjects

MCAS results show students performed above state average in many subjects, although some scores decreased compares to last year. Photo source: DESE

Students in the Old Rochester Regional School District scored above state averages in nearly every category for the MCAS, although the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards dropped for civics, science and elementary school...

Rochester approves new property tax rate

From left: Select Board members Paul Ciaburri, Adam Murphy and Bradford Morse at a Monday, Sept. 21 meeting. Photo by Grace Roche

ROCHESTER — The property tax rate has been set at $10.62 per $1,000 of assessed property value, with a single rate across all property types. The Select Board approved this year’s rate at a Monday, Sept. 21 meeting after a presentation by Director...