Mitchell on his goals for the city, the budget, and immigration enforcement - The New Bedford Light In an hour-long one-on-one with The Light, the mayor hit on everything from education to wind to police to standing up for New Bedford.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell joined The Chat with Jack Spillane on Wednesday to talk about his recent State of the City address and what the future of New Bedford looks like.

Thanks to everyone who joined us! Here's the full chat. ⤵️

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The Light is turning five, and this milestone is yours to celebrate. Get tickets ▶️ newbedfordlight.regfox.com/2026-new-bed...

How a retired cranberry bog helped change the game for wetland restoration - The New Bedford Light Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest freshwater restoration project in Massachusetts, is a living laboratory for wetland science.

A former cranberry farm in Plymouth has become the largest freshwater restoration project in Massachusetts. Known as Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, the site offers a playbook for wetland restoration as cranberry farms see slimmer profits because of climate change and other factors.

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📢 Last chance: Be sure to join Light columnist Jack Spillane on Wednesday at 1 p.m. for his chat with New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Immigrant seafood workers expand dispute with New Bedford fish house - The New Bedford Light The workers held a second demonstration on the waterfront after filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

Seven workers formerly employed at Marder Trawling through Workforce Unlimited allege the companies engaged in multiple violations of the National Labor Relations Act.

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Climate change is driving scallops north. That’s good news for New Bedford - The New Bedford Light As scallops react to warming waters, southern and mid-Atlantic fishermen are following suit — spending more time and landing more shellfish in New Bedford. It’s a boon for the Whaling City, but it’s…

Scallop fishermen from New Jersey to Virginia are increasingly making the trip north as warming waters reshape the industry.

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State task force: Shore up SNAP before federal cuts - The New Bedford Light The Anti-Hunger Task Force report offers dozens of ideas on supporting Bay Staters who may lose food benefits.

Gov. Maura Healy's Anti-Hunger Task Force report offers a framework to blunt the impact of federal legislation that could cause 150,000 Massachusetts residents to lost some or all of their SNAP benefits.

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More New Bedford High students are taking and passing AP tests - The New Bedford Light The school’s percentage of passing scores — 66% — beat peer districts and even outpaced some suburban districts.

🎓 New Bedford High’s percentage of passing AP test scores — 66% — beat peer districts like Fall River, Brockton, and Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech. And it’s a huge improvement from the school’s 23% AP passing rate nine years earlier.

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"The Beach" by Milton Brightman, part of "Curious Figure 3," one of three exhibits reviewed this week. Credit: Don Wilkinson / The New Bedford Light

"Oleg" by Joe Vaux. Credit: Don Wilkinson / The New Bedford Light

“Of Smoke and Ash ll” by Elena Peteva. Credit: Courtesy of the artist

"Witnesses" by Ali Masoumzadeh. Credit: Don Wilkinson / The New Bedford Light

Light arts columnist Don Wilkinson reviews three wide-ranging exhibits worth seeing.

Full column: buff.ly/B3Wu5Jh

Bristol County GOP recruiting historic slate of 2026 candidates - The New Bedford Light At least 14 Republicans have announced statehouse campaigns in the county, the highest number since at least 2012.

Building on recent momentum, local Republicans are working to recruit candidates to run in all 19 of Bristol County's statehouse races.

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Massachusetts House plans vote to ban social media use for children under 14 - The New Bedford Light The legislation would also prohibit student cellphone use in schools, making the ban “among the most restrictive in the entire country.”

Here's more about the legislation: buff.ly/SCHVNx7

The House recently passed a bill to ban phones in schools and limit children’s use of social media. We want to hear from you about it. Are you a local parent or a teen who’s active on social media? DM us or email jperkins@newbedfordlight.org or tips@newbedfordlight.org.

Judge temporarily bars GE Vernova from leaving Vineyard Wind contract - The New Bedford Light The turbine supplier is temporarily barred from exiting its contract with the wind project, which it planned to do on April 28.

Vineyard Wind scored an initial legal win against GE Vernova on Friday, with a judge ruling the turbine supplier is temporarily barred from exiting its contract with the wind project, which it planned to do on April 28.

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Vineyard Wind, GE Vernova battle in court - The New Bedford Light The fight over finishing Massachusetts’ only offshore wind farm heated up in a Boston courtroom Thursday. The judge set the next hearing for May 1.

Vineyard Wind sued GE Vernova last week after GEV gave notice of its plan to abandon the offshore wind project at the end of April.

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Westport spars with state over Horseneck Beach road - The New Bedford Light Residents are up in arms after a seemingly routine road maintenance project destroyed a sizable portion of a coastal dune.

State officials argue that widening a paved trail parallel to Horseneck Beach would allow critical emergency access, but Westport residents are skeptical after a similar project destroyed much of a nearby dune.

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Massachusetts legal aid program helps immigrants in immigration court - The New Bedford Light The Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative provides in-state immigrants legal representation in their removal proceedings. The Legislature is considering renewing the one-year, $5 million program.

Gov. Maura Healey’s fiscal 2027 budget would keep funding for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative flat at $5 million, even as program administrators say demand already exceeds capacity.

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Ballot proposal for Massachusetts income tax cut sparks debate - The New Bedford Light Voters may decide in November whether to cut Massachusetts’ income tax from 5% to 4%. Critics say it’ll blow a $5 billion hole in the state budget.

Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to cut Massachusetts' income tax rate say it would make the state more affordable and reduce the number of people who leave. Critics say it would blow a $5 billion hole in the budget.

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🫟 Find out more
newbedfordlight.org/artsillumina...

🎨 Let's give our South Coast #artists a LIVELY audience! The New Bedford Light is calling #art enthusiasts, artists and potential buyers to our next Arts Illuminated art talk show, on Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Steeple Playhouse in #NewBedford 🫟
newbedfordlight.org/artsillumina...

Massachusetts makes case to feds for blizzard aid - The New Bedford Light After New Bedford’s record 37-inch snowfall, Gov. Healey seeks access to federal aid programs for Bristol County.

Massachusetts has appealed to the federal government to issue a “major disaster declaration” in connection with February’s two-day blizzard.

The request seeks access to aid for Bristol County, as well as Norfolk and Plymouth counties and the Cape and Islands.

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Mayor Mitchell points to big wins and big problems for New Bedford - The New Bedford Light Jon Mitchell wrapped up his speech with a plea for volunteering and private-sector fundraising.

Opinion: Light columnist Jack Spillane reviews New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell's 2026 State of the City address and reflects on its closing message.

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New Bedford mayor gets fundraising boost from real estate, development sector - The New Bedford Light A recent spike in donations from people working in real estate industries contributed to the mayor’s biggest fundraising burst in a decade.

Contributions from people working in real estate and development have made up a growing share of donations to New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell’s campaign in recent months.

The Light has a breakdown of the numbers. ⤵️

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Retired New Bedford firefighter found guilty of disorderly conduct again - The New Bedford Light Manuel Mota received another $100 fine after a jury trial about a Fairhaven bar fight.

➡️ This week's most-read story was The Light's report on the conviction of retired New Bedford firefighter Manuel Mota for disorderly conduct. It was the second such judgment against him in six months.

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Vineyard Wind sues GE Renewables to block it from abandoning project - The New Bedford Light If GE exits, Vineyard Wind says, the project “will likely fail, leaving the windfarm stranded” and unable to reach full power.

Vineyard Wind sued GE Renewables on Wednesday, alleging GE plans to walk away from the $4.5 billion offshore wind project by April 28 during the inal stage of bringing it fully online.

If GE exits, Vineyard Wind warns the project “will likely fail, leaving the windfarm stranded."

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Investigation finds no evidence of affair between New Bedford judge, prosecutor - The New Bedford Light Thousands of criminal cases could have been impacted, but the special master’s report determines Judge Douglas Darnbrough and Bristol County Assistant DA Karlyn Butler did not coordinate on cases.

“Other than rumors and the anonymous letters, there is no evidence establishing any dating, romantic, sexual, or otherwise inappropriate relationship between Judge [Douglas] Darnbrough and ADA [Karlyn] Butler,” a special master wrote in a report released Thursday.

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Community Close-up: immigration impact in New Bedford Kevin Andrade returns to Community Close-up to talk about news in New Bedford and its surrounding communities.

Light reporter Kevin G. Andrade joined NBC 10 WJAR on Wednesday to discuss his reporting on the economic impact of immigration enforcement and the PROTECT Act's progress through the Massachusetts Legislature.

Watch it. ⤵️

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Procedural abortion now available on South Coast in Wareham Procedural abortion now available on South Coast - The New Bedford Light The new service at a Wareham clinic closes an almost 20-year access gap and gives pregnant women the option of in-clinic treatment.

The new service at a Wareham clinic closes an almost 20-year access gap and gives pregnant women the option of in-clinic treatment.

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Local news only works if people can access it. This Local News Day, pass The Light along to someone who might not have it yet → newbedfordlight.org/sign-up/

Mayor’s State of the City address: New Bedford is ‘running up the score’ - The New Bedford Light Mitchell highlights infrastructure and municipal service, and unveils new plans for the city.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, now in his 15th year in office, touted long-awaited achievements including the South Coast Rail project, the completion of Vineyard Wind 1, and the recently reopened Zeiterion.

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Poet Elizabeth Sylvia: Crafting beautiful words on a page - The New Bedford Light The Mattapoisett author is passionate about her pursuit. “A really good poem offers a reader something immediate in the images, in the senses, in the language that they can grab onto and find…

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