News | Dartmouth

header_bg

Visit our partners:

News

This year’s Dartmouth’s Finest was the ‘strangest thing’

Peter Quinn, Gabriel Fernandes and Slade Bertalotto pose after winning. Photos by Kat Sheridan

Dartmouth’s Finest always has some strange elements, but this year was definitely the “Strangest Thing.” During the March 13 performance, music from the beloved television…

Dartmouth man charged for stabbing woman in Chelsea

A Dartmouth man is charged with killing Margarita Morehead.

Angel Alvarez, 68 of Dartmouth, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of…

Most Popular

Water main break on Cottage Street is being repaired

The area affected by the break. Source: Jessica Dastous

A water main has been shut off for repairs on Cottage Street, and is expected to be back online later this afternoon. The affected area is on Cottage Street between Wilson Street and Elm Street. Drivers are asked to avoid this area so the main can...

Public hearings for Residences at Hawthorne set to close

Paul Cusson at the Thursday, Dec. 4 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Photo by Kat Sheridan

The developers for the Residences at Hawthorne, a proposed 138-unit affordable housing at 970 Tucker Road, have informed the Zoning Board of Appeals in an emailed letter that they will not be allowing more public hearings after Friday, March 27....

March Madness for those who prefer books to basketball

Stock photo of Southworth Library.

For sports fans, March is all about basketball brackets and competition, but what does the month mean for people who may prefer to read? Well, libraries across Massachusetts have found a solution and anyone can participate. The Wilmington Library...

Growing a new library, from seed

The Seed Library at the Southworth Library. Photos by Kat Sheridan

Botany new seeds lately? There’s no more need to buy seeds, as the North Branch and Southworth libraries have started their first seed libraries. The seed library sprouted from an idea planted by the community during their Strategic Plan...

Water and sewer rates, taxes may increase for long-term project funding

debt scenarios

The Town of Dartmouth is looking to fund a number of long-term projects that could result in tax, water rate, and sewer rate increases over the next several decades to pay off debt that the projects would accrue. These projects include school...

Select Board approves Town Election ballot

Voting

The ballot for the Tuesday, April 7 town election is now set after Select Board members voted to approve it at a meeting on Monday, March 9. Only one race is contested this year, with four people vying for Stanley Mickelson’s seat on the Select...

Baked to perfection: Girl Scouts close out the cookie-selling season

girl scouts

For the past several weekends, girl scouts across the country have been in the thralls of their cookie-selling season, and the girls in Troop 77339 were no exception. After weekends of work, their bout of entrepreneurship has come to a close. On...

Dartmouth Middle School goes 'under the sea'

Ariel (Layla Ruiz) inspects a 'dinglehopper.' Photos by Kat Sheridan

They’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty. They have whoozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? They’ve got 20. But who cares? No big deal. They want more- specifically, they want to show off their talents! The Dartmouth Middle School is...

Dartmouth's finest to return to stage

Talent will soon grace Dartmouth High School's auditorium once again as the senior class prepares to perform in the annual Dartmouth's Finest competition, which will be held on Friday, March 13. Dartmouth's Finest will be spotlighting members of the...

Inside a once empty building sprouts a place of healing

front

In the summer of 2014, Reverend Scott Ciosek stood in the parking lot of St. Peter’s Episocpal Church in Padanaram and looked up at the night sky after some long meetings. What he saw was an empty building that wasn’t being used, and it was in that...

New town committee for water preservation is looking for members

The Town of Dartmouth has formed a Water Quality Advisory Committee to protect, preserve and enhance surface and groundwater quality. The committee is looking for five community members from across the Dartmouth watersheds to serve on the...

Residents begin voicing concerns about the 300 unit apartment complex

A resident argues against the Hathaway. Photos by Kat Sheridan

For over two hours residents, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the developers of a proposed 300-unit 40B project planned for Hathaway Road debated the project's logistics and feasibility. “We’re neighbors whose basements will flood, whose property...

Proposed office building is not coming to Dartmouth

The developers for the Faunce Corner offices present their plans. Photo by Kat Sheridan

The Zoning Board of Appeals allowed the applicant for an office and masonry construction business at 576 Faunce Corner Road to withdraw his petition. The petitioner wanted to build an office building within the office district, but wanted the...

Dartmouth Public Schools spend over $51,000 in snow removal

middle school

The Dartmouth Public Schools district has spent $51,060.77 for snow removal so far this year. This includes $28,000 in overtime pay, $3,000 for salt, $10,000 to hire contractors and $10,000 for machine repairs and parts, fuel and other needs....

School budget currently $1.6 million over town projection

budget

The proposed budget for the Dartmouth Public School's Fiscal Year 2027 is currently $1,610,726 over the town’s projected budget, with little room for cuts to the proposal. The district is looking to increase its budget by 6.85% to cover key budget...

2026 beach stickers now available for purchase

Beach stickers for the 2026 season are now available for purchase. Eligible residents, property owners, business owners, disabled veterans and seasonal renters can purchase their beach sticker by visiting bit.ly/dartmouthbeachsticker. Once...

Register for the Buzzard Bay Coalition's 20th annual watershed ride

Watershed ride

Registration is now open for the Buzzard Bay Coaltion's 20th annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 4. To celebrate the milestone year, the Coalition is offering "20 for 20" — a 20-mile route to mark 20 years. This...

Clean up nears completion week after blizzard

town hall snow

One week after the record breaking “Blizzard of ‘26,” the town has almost returned to normal. The town has cleared all the roads, but are working in shifts to make all roads easily traversable, according to Director of Public Works Tim Barber....

Bristol County District Attorney ordered to test DNA from a 1988 Dartmouth murder

Shawn Tanner, while released on medical parole, shortly before his untimely death in 2022. Source: New England Innocence Project

Thirty-seven years after Shawn Tanner of Dartmouth was convicted of murdering a sex worker in Dartmouth and five years after requesting DNA testing, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled on Friday, Feb. 27 that the Bristol County...

Dartmouth Public Schools close Friday with an end to the snow days in sight

What started out as a week-long winter break has extended to a two-week vacation for students in the Dartmouth Public Schools, as Friday is set to be another snow day due to the blizzard. "We're getting our crews more time over the weekend to better...

Horsing around the DNRT for the Lunar New Year

One of the horseshoes. Source: DNRT

The Lunar New Year kicked off the Year of the Horse on Feb. 17, and the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust kicked off their Year of the Horse Scavenger Hunt the same day. The Lunar New Year-inspired scavenger hunt started last year, when lots of...

Can't even be the tiniest bit sour at this sourdough microbakery

Divine Dough Bakery's setup. Source: Amanda Alcaidinho

Tucked away on Russells Mills Road is a microbakery -- not one that sells tiny food, but one that's set-up on someone's porch Amanda Alcaidinho started her microbakery, called Divine Dough, from her porch, after falling down a TikTok rabbit hole...

Town updates on the snow storm

Crews from the Hampden County Sheriff's Office help with snow removal operations. Source: Town of Dartmouth Facebook Page

About three days after the Blizzard of 26 hit Dartmouth, Town Administrator Cody Haddad held a public update on Dartmouth Community Television. “We have had round the clock meetings, phone calls while many of you were probably sleeping, our team...

A new tool to keep an eye on water use

The Department of Public Works Water Division is rolling out EyeOnWater, a new tool that will allow residents to track and monitor their water usage. The online tool and app connects to water accounts so that users can see their personal water...

Storm updates: parking ban, warming shelter, power outages and more

snow plow

Even as the sun shines and the snow has stopped falling, Dartmouth is still facing the effects of the record-breaking blizzard that dropped 33-inches of snow in Dartmouth. More than 1,800 Eversource customers were still without power as of this...

Blizzard brings travel bans, local state of emergency, extended school closures

snow

Gov. Maura Healey enacted a travel ban for Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties, which started at 3 p.m., restricting travel to essential vehicles only. Essential vehicles include first responders, plow operators and other authorized...

Snowstorm beats Blizzard of '78 snowfall, drops 33 inches

snow

Many remember the Blizzard of 1978, and even those who didn’t witness it know the tales, but as Dartmouth faces the Blizzard of 2026, its legacy is being challenged. In less than 24 hours, today’s snow accumulation beat this infamous storm. The...

Parking ban extended to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday

roads snowy

The parking ban has been extended to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon to allow for extended cleanup operations. Tim Barber, the director of public works, said the department is extending the ban because of the severity of the storm. "Due to the amount...

Over 2,600 without power as nor'easter slams Dartmouth

snow

Widespread power outages have been reported across Dartmouth, with 2,606 Eversource customers without power as of 11:25 a.m. Roughly 11% of Eversource customers are without power. Residents should stay away from downer wires and can report outages...

Planting thoughts: Libraries to begin seed libraries

The Dartmouth Public Library will be launcing seed libraries at both libraries in March to offer community members a free resource to garden and grow food. The seed library will begin on Monday, March 2, and community members willl have access to a...

Major storm to impact Dartmouth

snow

With a major snow storm expected to bring between 18 to 25 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 75 mph, Dartmouth is settling in for the storm. The Department of Public Works announced a parking ban that is in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday through...

Schools closed Monday, Feb. 23

Dartmouth Public Schools and Bishop Stang High School will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23 due to the impending snow storm.

A potential solution to the orange bags

The orange bags.

A solution to the orange Save Money and Reduce Trash program bags ripping may be near, with the bag manufacturer set to change their manufacturing process. Board of Public Works members said that the bags have been ripping due to the glue strip...

Public Works discusses ways to ease town water issues

Public works file photo.

Dartmouth has been relying heavily on New Bedford for its water supply for years, raising water rates for residents and buying millions of dollars of water in fiscal year 25. Now, the Board of Public Works is heavily considering ways to become more...

For Town Administrator Cody Haddad, transparency is the name of the game

Cody Haddad

Six months into the job, Town Administrator Cody Haddad has brought a new sense of initiative into town, with old projects being completed and new programs being established. Haddad and the town have completed or nearly completed a number of...

Election ballot takes shape with one contested race

Town hall. Stock photo.

Four candidates will vie for a seat on the Select Board in this spring’s town election, with all other offices uncontested. On the April 7 ballot will be one seat on the Select Board, two on the School Committee, two on the Board of Health, one on...

New Bedford man sentenced to 18 months for Dartmouth drunk driving incident

New Bedford District Court stock photo.

Craig Dias, 22, of New Bedford was sentenced to serve 18 months in the House of Correction for driving while intoxicated and illegally possessing a firearm. Minutes before midnight on Oct. 14, 2024, Dartmouth Police responded to a crash on Old...

Buzzards Bay Coalition conserves 22 acres for salt marsh protection

The Buzzards Bay Coalition recently conserved 22 acres of land on either side of Slocums River, allowing the salt marshes space to move as a rising sea level threatens to down the existing marsh. The 22 acres of land are located on Little River...

New York Bagel Co to move into closed Sunrise Bakery

sunrise bakery

Months after Sunrise Bakery closed its doors in Dartmouth, the New York Bagel Co has announced that it will be moving into the space. The South Dartmouth location will be the New York Bagel Co’s seventh location, with their State Road location...

Dartmouth residents announce candidacy for State Representative

three

Dartmouth residents have already begun announcing their intentions to run for the 9th Bristol District state representative seat. State Rep. Chris Markey, a Democrat who has served as State Representative in the 9th Bristol District for 12 years,...

A Valentines Day Dance for all ages

Students and members of the Council on Aging dance together. Photos by Kat Sheridan

Valentine’s Day is all about love; typically the day focuses on romantic love, but the Dartmouth High School and Council on Aging focus on another type of love – love for the broader community. “The young people here go out of their way to make...

Project unknowns persist as deadline for Residences at Hawthorne looms

waivers

With just a month and a half left for the Zoning Board of Appeals to make a decision on the future of a proposed 137-unit affordable housing project at 970 Tucker Road, Chair Michael Medeiros says plans for the project are “still not complete.”...

Water main breaks near Bryant Street, motorists asked to avoid area

water

A water main break near 54 Bryant Street is being repaired by the Department of Public Works Water and Sewer Division, and water is expected to be turned back on by this afternoon to evening. The damage is currently isolated to the property with...

Things to do: week of Feb. 12

The grange hall. Source: The Dartmouth Grange

Friday, Feb. 13 Chow down at a potluck dinner All farmers are invited to a potluck supper on Friday, Feb. 13. The supper will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Dartmouth Grange at 1133 Fisher Road. Farmers are encouraged to bring their...

Engineering invention and imagination at the DeMello School

The Invention Convention team gives Silly Soap Stamps to the School Committee. Source: DHSTVmedia

The DeMello School may be nurturing the next Thomas Edison or Ruth Graves Wakefield. The school is encouraging kids to learn about inventing through their Invention Convention team and fourth grade Eureka! unit. The Invention Convention team...

Growing green in the face of a winter freeze

In the winter when snow covers the ground and temperatures drop below freezing, growing crops like leafy greens and lemons may seem impossible. But like many others, farmers at Round the Bend Farm have devised a work around. Scattered across the...

Preliminary town budget begins taking shape months before deadline

After various meetings and collaboration with department heads, a preliminary version of the town's Fiscal Year 2027 budget is already coming into fruition. "We're about a month ahead of where we were last year in the budget process," said Town...

Citizen's Academy to show residents what Dartmouth is all about

Beginning on Wednesday, April, 1, the town of Dartmouth will be offerring residents the opporunity to see how the town operates and what goes on behind the scenes as part of its new Citizen's Academy initiative. "It's an opportunity for our...

Crypto ATMs, snow removal bylaw among possible Town Meeting discussions

ATM

Four months out from Town Meeting, what members will be asked to vote on is already beginning to take shape. Besides the routine agenda items like approving the town budget, Town Administrator Cody Haddad proposed two additional ones: changing the...

School Committee announces $59 million Fiscal Year budget request

A breakdown of the Fiscal Year 27 budget request. Source: DHSTVmedia

As the deadline to submit a budget for Fiscal Year 2027 approaches, the Dartmouth School Committee is looking to request $59,277,916, which is about 7% higher than last year's budget. Superintendent June Saba-Maguire noted that creating the budget...