A person was shot in Taunton while driving Friday morning Police said they received a report at 8:20 a.m Investigators said the driver was shot at by the driver of another vehicle in the area of Fifth Street and West Water Street Police said there were two bullet holes in the vehicle The suspect has been taken into custody on additional charges in another jurisdiction Officials said they are expected to face charges for the shooting See anyone you know?48 PHOTOSBrockton High School staff arrive for the junior prom at the Clarion Hotel in Taunton on Friday Brockton High School junior Asland Gray arrives for her prom at the Clarion Hotel in Taunton on Friday we're taking a look back at the week that was and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers After much anticipation, Free Play Bar Arcade has opened its doors in Taunton Taunton High softball debuted their newly renovated Jack Tripp Field with a 4-0 win over King Philip Karina Bosco, a senior attacker for Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School lacrosse, is leaving a legacy of success for the program Riverhouse in Taunton is gearing up for Cinco de Mayo, and their patio grand opening Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School's Raynwater Players put on a production of "Hadestown." The latest Greater Taunton real estate report, featuring a Raynham colonial that sold for $970,000. The home on Mohawk Road has a stunningly remodeled kitchen, a sun-drenched living room, an oversized primary suite, and a fully finished basement. Check out this property, as well as other recent top-sellers These were the Top 5 stories of the past week Taunton High School art teacher Brian Kreizinger made every day of his life count "He lived every single second," his sister "We always joked that he always had a to-do list even the day before he went to the hospital No minute was wasted would be an understatement." Kreizinger, a Rehoboth resident, died of cancer on April 17, 2025, according to his obituary. His family created a GoFundMe to raise money for his wife Kate and their two children His sister said in an interview with the Gazette that he was "an example of how to live your life." 'Lived every single second': Beloved Taunton High art teacher remembered as the 'best dad' at the former site of National Charter 957 has opened its doors and is looking to enhance downtown Taunton's nightlife scene Take a peek inside, and see what's on the menu 'Making dreams come true': 22 Bar & Lounge opens in Taunton. Menu, drinks, vibe and more Man found shot to death behind Bristol-Plymouth high schoolA 39-year-old man was found dead early Wednesday morning in the construction area behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn identified the man as Stephan Myers of Falmouth He died as a result of a single gunshot wound This is what we know, as of this writing Under investigation: Man found shot to death behind Bristol-Plymouth high school identified Authorities have identified a body that was found on April 25 in Taunton was located in the water of the Mill River behind 43 Chandler Ave. said the Bristol County District Attorney's Office What we know, as of this writing Taunton's Mill River: Body found in water has been identified. What we know Taunton City Councilor Estele Borges is questioning why the city has only spent a tiny fraction of the opioid settlement money it's had in its coffers since 2024 Borges, who is running for mayor against O'Connell, criticized O'Connell in an interview and a Facebook post for lacking a "sense of urgency" and spending only $67,600 of the $1.5 million in opioid funding distributed to Taunton by the state But Mayor Shaunna O'Connell said that the way the city distributes opioid funding is why "our City is not in a financial crisis like other communities."   Taunton Gazette Reporter Emma Rindlisbacher has the story 'Irresponsible': Why hasn't Taunton spent more than $1 million in opioid settlement money? This week's top-selling home in Taunton is a brand-new construction that sold for $760,000 this home at 80 Willis Pond Road has been outfitted with stunning details throughout From the inviting farmers’ porch to the sun-drenched rooms this home offers sleek sophistication paired with comfort The custom kitchen has a large island and a walk-in pantry and a walk-up attic with endless possibilities Here are all of the residential property transfers recorded in the Greater Taunton area this week Copyrighted material previously published in Banker & Tradesman/The Commercial Record, a weekly trade newspaper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group. For a searchable database of real estate transactions and property information, visit www.thewarrengroup TAUNTON — Chief Edward Walsh reports that the Taunton Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred Friday morning Taunton received a report of someone who had been shot at while driving in their vehicle The preliminary investigation indicates that a driver was shot at by the driver of another vehicle in the area of Fifth Street and West Water Street officers later observed two bullet holes in the vehicle who has since been taken into custody on other charges in another jurisdiction and is expected to face charges in connection with the Taunton incident Former Vice President Michael Pence coming to Massachusetts this weekend to be presented with Profile in Courage Award Services announced for 19-year-old New Bedford teen who had a passion for riding TAUNTON (WBSM) — A suspect was taken into custody Friday after a person was shot at while driving in their vehicle in Taunton According to Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh the department received a report at about 8:21 a.m on May 2 of a person shot at while driving in their vehicle He said the preliminary investigation indicated that a driver was shot at by the driver of another vehicle in the area of Fifth Street and West Water Street Walsh said officers found two bullet holes in the vehicle Walsh said police were able to identify a suspect who had since been taken into custody on other charges in another jurisdiction Walsh said the suspect is expected to face charges in connection with the Taunton incident but the suspect’s name was not released the investigation into the incident “remains active and ongoing.” A suspect was taken into custody Friday after a person was shot at while driving in their vehicle.\nRead More TAUNTON (WBSM) — A suspect was taken into custody Friday after a person was shot at while driving in their vehicle in Taunton The three Taunton Municipal Light Plant commissioners will be getting a raise the Council voted 7-1 to more than double the annual stipend given to the commissioners Councilor Chris Coute was not present at the April 29 meeting and Phillip Duarte was the sole vote against the stipend increase The Council also voted to make the stipend increases retroactive to Jan and voted to have the city's law department draft a home rule petition to make it so that the City Council did not have authority over the stipends given to the TMLP commissioners City Councilors who voted in favor of the increase argued that the stipends had not increased in 25 years, since 2000 that the stipends are funded through revenue generated by TMLP rather than through tax dollars is somewhat independent and its budget is separate from the city's What is TMLP?The Taunton Municipal Light Plant is an electricity company that was purchased by the city of Taunton in 1897. TMLP provides service to Taunton TMLP is governed by a commission of three people who are elected by Taunton voters Neighbors win Taunton backs down, won't put TMLP substation on open land. What happened? the lone vote against the stipend increase previously criticized the TMLP commission at a Feb Duarte said that TMLP commissioners would be getting a larger stipend compared to the planning board members (who receive a $3,000 stipend) and zoning board members (who receive a $2,500 stipend) Duarte said that planning and zoning board members do more work than TMLP commissioners "I followed the TMLP commission very closely and it operated differently than other boards and commissions," Duarte said so I don't think that is accessible to the public probably always unless there's specific circumstances "It's very difficult to provide public input to their board," Duarte said School board raises controversy What's Taunton Council doing to make sure 100% raises don't slip past them again? Councilors vote to approve stipend increasesSeven city councilors voted to increase the annual stipends of the TMLP commissioners from $6,000 to $12,196 wrote in a letter that the last time the stipends were increased was in January 2000 Holmes wrote that the proposed $12,196 annual stipend is based on increasing the $6,000 stipend from January 2000 by 3% per year "It's an important board," Councilor Larry Quintal said of the TMLP commission "It's been many years since their stipend has been raised I would be in full support of their stipends being raised." Councilor John McCaul said that unlike other city board members the TMLP commissioners' stipends would be funded by revenue generated by TMLP rather than by taxpayer dollars It's coming from the ratepayer," McCaul said "I think it's reasonable and fair," Councilor Barry Sanders said of the increase "I'm also less concerned about how the TMLP commissioners set their compensation because it doesn't come out of the general fund of the city The three TMLP commissioners are: city councilors voted to make the increase in the TMLP commissioners' stipends from $6,000 to $12,196 retroactive to Jan Five City Councilors voted in favor of making the stipend increases retroactive: Estele Borges Three City Councilors voted against making the stipend increases retroactive: Phillip Duarte (Councilor Chris Coute was not present at that Council meeting) The City Council voted unanimously to ask the city's law department to create a home rule petition to ask the Massachusetts State Legislature to make it so that the TMLP Commission would set the stipends received by the commissioners Following the April 29 votes to increase the stipends and make the increases retroactive the Council's ordinances and enrolled bills subcommittee will need to meet in a future meeting to make the stipend increases official (WLNE) — Foul play is suspected after a body was found in a construction area behind Bristol Plymouth High School The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has identified the man found as 39-year-old Stephan Myers from Falmouth Myers’ body was found early Wednesday morning and authorities determined he died of a single gunshot wound The DA’s office said Myers had no known connection to the high school Officials also said there is no threat to the public Massachusetts State Police are now working with the DA’s office and Taunton police in this active investigation TAUNTON (WBSM) — The district attorney’s office has identified the man whose body was discovered last week in Taunton and deemed his death not suspicious According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M Quinn said Stovall was known to Taunton Police as someone who was homeless Police received a 911 call at about 3:40 p.m on April 25 reporting a body had been located by walkers in the Mill River behind 43 Chandler Avenue Taunton Police detectives and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the D.A.’s Office responded to the scene Stovall’s body was located in the water with obvious signs of decomposition “This death is not deemed suspicious but remains open pending further investigation,” the D.A.’s Office said a rash of bodies discovered in the region have led to online speculation that a serial killer is operating in New England Law enforcement has repeatedly denied any evidence that the deaths of these individuals are connected The district attorney’s office has identified the man whose body was discovered last week in Taunton and deemed his death not suspicious.\nRead More TAUNTON (WBSM) — The district attorney’s office has identified the man whose body was discovered last week in Taunton and deemed his death not suspicious (WJAR) — Authorities have identified a body that was pulled from the water in Taunton on Friday The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office says the body of 51-year-old Samuel Stovall was pulled from the Mill River near 43 Chandler Avenue on Friday afternoon Police got a call about the body around 3:40 p.m It had been discovered by walkers in the area Authorities say the body had obvious signs of decomposition (WLNE) — Authorities have identified the body found in the Mill River on April 25 according to a statement from Bristol County District District Attorney Thomas M Samuel Stovall, 51, was discovered in the river at 3:40 p.m. Friday with Massachusetts State Police and Taunton police detectives responding to the call Arriving officers to the area behind 43 Chandler Avenue located the body of Stovall which showed obvious signs of decomposition Stovall was known to Taunton police to be homeless and often in the area His death is not considered suspicious at this time His sister said in an interview with the Gazette that he was "an example of how to live your life." a friend of Kreizinger's and colleague in the Taunton High School art department "He reminded me: Don’t forget that you can still give high expectations and kids will rise to it Sometimes you get discouraged that they’re not trying hard enough and you sort of lower expectations to try to get them to respond Both Steele and Borges remembered Kreizinger as being devoted to his family and as someone who took the time to get to know people on an individual level even going as far as to give unique gifts for his friends and family to demonstrate his appreciation for the people in his life Here's what they shared about Kreizinger's life Steele remembered her brother as "the best dad" to his two children 'Any ideas for adventures for the kids today?' He would do it every weekend always taking them on different experiences and things like that." he took Audrey to cooking lessons in East Greenwich they would go rollerblading and roller-skating all the time in the winter He loved to drive around in his Ramcharger with the top off Weekly home sales Expansive colonial in Raynham with lots of extras sells for almost $1M Will continue to drive his truck"We’re going to keep the Dodge Ramcharger going so that the kids can still take rides in the charger and they loved that that was one of their favorite things to do with him was ride around and get ice cream or go fishing His wish was that we keep doing the things with his family that he would do with them and keep those things going So we’re just going to keep doing the adventures with the kids and the family things we always do." "His family was everything," recalled Devon Borges "When he first was diagnosed and had his treatment he couldn’t go but he refused to have them not go .. And so they went and he built a humongous treehouse for his children so that when they got home he could surprise them It was the most awesome treehouse you would ever see." so they would come over in the summertime," she said Mom during the summer because he took care of the kids." 'I Drive Your Truck' Lee Brice comforts family of Raynham soldier who inspired hit song "I will never be able to gift-give the way that he gave gifts," Steele said No one has given me the type of gifts he gave me either from our childhood or special times He would give these presents that are invaluable." One particular gift she received from Kreizinger was a reference to her engagement "I got engaged at Newport Vineyards a few years ago he got me a barrel top that said Newport Vineyards on it." "I still have two voicemails on my voicemail from him and one was: 'I have this great gift idea for mom "He’s always thinking ahead about gifting people thoughtful "He would tell me and get so excited about the presents that he would work so hard to get," Borges recalled She said that Kreizinger also gave gifts to teachers at the High School One teacher who was leaving the school "loved tattoos," Borges said so Kreizinger "gave her a gift certificate to get a tattoo." "It’s how he shows he appreciates you and you matter." Borges said of Kreizinger's propensity to give unique gifts Borges said Kreizinger "was strict but he was also beloved" as a teacher "He was super-organized and kids like that kids respond to that when your routine is established and it's kept to that routine they would much rather listen to hip hop but he listened to country music." Kreizinger had "high expectations" for his students said that her brother was motivated to be a teacher to "inspire the next generation." "If they had some untapped talent he wanted to be that person to bring it out," Steele said Living last weeks to the fullestIn June of 2023 Kreizinger went into the hospital with stomach pain thinking it was an ulcer and came out with a diagnosis of stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma He had "really positive treatment results" until April of 2024 when he started having headaches and learned that his cancer had spread to his spinal fluid "This is a dire cancer metastasis where most patients only live weeks after symptoms start he had a shunt inserted to drain the fluid from his skull to his stomach and pushed on to keep living He wrote a paper to finish one of his educational licenses he and Kate took a cruise with the kids to Alaska and he completed numerous house projects with many still on his 'to-do list'," the GoFundMe says Between hospitalizations in those last few weeks Kreizinger was able to watch his son test for his blue belt and then be awarded it and watch his daughter "perform in her play that she’s been working so hard for" — and not only did he see the show His loved ones spent the day with him on Tuesday he opened his eyes when we were getting ready to leave and gave us two thumbs up when we told him we all loved him That’s the way he would have wanted to say goodbye." A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday at the Berkley Beer Company from noon to 3 p.m Kreizinger wished for people to share stories and memories Colorful and comfortable attire is encouraged Parking is limited therefore carpooling and ubering is highly encouraged (WJAR) — Authorities suspect foul play in the death of man whose body was found at a Taunton construction site on Wednesday according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office The district attorney's office said the body of 39-year-old Stephen Myers from Falmouth was discovered early Wednesday morning at a construction site behind the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School The name of the victim has not been released but the investigation remains active Police said Myers suffered from a single gunshot wound prosecutors said nor there was no known connection between the man and the school they're going to block off Hart Street entrance over there I thought it had something to do with issues with construction or something because they're building a new school,” said Jaxon Lyons and we start hearing rumors of a possible dead body.” seeing how it was near right outside my school but hopefully nothing else bad happens and things go by," said Thomas Babcock a sophomore at Bristol-Plymouth "My mom was in the car with me and I got a bunch of texts from family members today and they seemed really concerned and they seemed worried about the situation." The school district said in a statement that "at no time was there a threat to the safety of our students or staff." Administrators said there was no disruption to classes and no lockdown The man found shot to death behind Bristol-Plymouth high school in Taunton has been identified Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a written statement of Falmouth was found in a construction area behind B-P early Wednesday morning Myers was transported to the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office pending an autopsy There is currently construction activity at B-P while a new school is being built on the campus of the existing school. There is no known connection between Myers and the school the DA's Office said in an earlier written statement Wednesday afternoon What B-P said to familiesB-P Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes said in a written statement to B-P families Wednesday that at no time was there a threat to the safety of the school population that the school was never placed under lockdown and that school operations ran normally without disruption He further said that the Hart Street entrance was reopened for afternoon pick-up The investigation is active and ongoing by the Massachusetts State Police detectives unit assigned to the DA’s Office Taunton Police detectives and homicide prosecutors No further information will be disseminated at this time Authorities have identified a body found last weekend in Taunton Taunton police received a 911 call from pedestrians walking in the area who located the body Massachusetts Police and Taunton Police detectives responded to the scene The Bristol County DA's Office said Stovall's body was found in the water of the Mill River and showed obvious signs of decomposition Stovall was known to Taunton police in the area as someone who was homeless TAUNTON — A 39-year-old man was found dead early Wednesday morning Rumors started circulating online early Wednesday about a possible fatality at the school with the Hart Street entrance to B-P reported to have been blocked off The Bristol County District Attorney's Office said foul play is suspected but there is no threat to the public and no known connection between the dead man and the school There is currently construction activity at B-P while a new school is being constructed on the campus of the existing school. What B-P said to familiesB-P Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes said in a written statement to B-P families that at no time was there a threat to the safety of the school population The man who was found dead was transported to the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office pending an autopsy This is an active investigation being led by Taunton Police Detectives and Homicide Unit prosecutors Taunton resident Ben Bankert has been going to Free Play Bar Arcade in Providence for the last seven years He said the gaming complex “has always been special with me” because it is how he has bonded with his father as they often play together Bankert’s excited he now has one much closer to home and can’t wait for the opportunity to bring his father here we’re coming to this location,” Bankert said Free Play Bar Arcade boasts hundreds of assorted classic video arcade games from decades past interactive video games (Dance Dance Revolution and car-racing games to name a few) and traditional games like pinball which is why it’s usually 21 and older to enter “I’ve been waiting for this place since I first heard about it,” said Taunton resident Breanne Fisher Fisher said a lot of the games Free Play has are among her favorites Cover chargeFree Play Bar Arcade has one cover charge to enter the establishment and all games are free and unlimited inside The cost to get in is $8 on weekdays and Sunday and $12 on Friday and Saturday Food and beverages aren't provided under the cover charge Food options consist only of thin-crust bar pizza present for Free Play’s soft opening on Friday said Free Play isn’t trying to compete with local restaurants; it’s just about providing a filling snack that isn’t too messy while you play games Santurri said back in May of 2024 the arcade is intended to be a destination where there are several restaurants in close proximity on County Street 'Making dreams come true' 22 Bar & Lounge opens in Taunton. Menu, drinks, vibe and more Santurri told The Gazette there were unforeseen issues that delayed the planned opening in the fall of 2024 as originally intended “The building was vacant for five years,” said Santurri explaining “you think the space is perfect,” but there were things that had to be addressed first This includes meeting ADA accessibility standards and meeting health code standards with the kitchen space and grease trap “The city has been wonderfully business-friendly Stunningly remodeled kitchen Expansive colonial in Raynham with lots of extras sells for almost $1M: Weekly home sales Santurri said the next phase is building out an outdoor patio area for karaoke Free Play is also expanding unused space in the building to better accommodate private parties and events The business is a predominantly 21 and over venue Free Play Bar Arcade in Taunton will eventually offer all-ages hours for families on Sundays sometime in the near future Santurri said hours will likely be added for Mondays and Tuesdays down the line “We’re still feeling out the city’s wants,” he said TAUNTON (WBSM) —- Authorities are investigating after a man was found deceased behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton this morning According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office the man was located early this morning in a construction area behind the school His body was transported to the Office of the State Medical Examiner for an autopsy which will determine the cause and manner of death The D.A.’s Office said that “foul play is suspected” but “there is no threat to the public nor any known connection between the decedent and the high school.” The incident remains under investigation by Taunton Police detectives Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Homicide Unit prosecutors from the D.A.’s Office Authorities are investigating after a man was found deceased behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton this morning.\nRead More TAUNTON (WBSM) —- Authorities are investigating after a man was found deceased behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton this morning TAUNTON — A new bar and lounge is looking to enhance the nightlife in downtown Taunton 22 Bar & Lounge is located at 9 Taunton Green, at the former site of National Charter 957 Co-owners Richard Andrew and Zena Shivers said they have been hosting numerous private events and welcoming feedback from customers regarding its drink and food menu and atmosphere adding that the Bar and Lounge is designed to offer both an uplifting environment and a laid-back but will include assortment of special cocktails and mocktails What was there before? Ex-city councilor's upscale Taunton 'speakeasy' closing for good. Why, what'll replace it? What's on dining menu?Andrew said 22 isn’t intended to be only an evening establishment is to roll out lunch hours and a lunch menu sometime in late May in order to cater to the downtown business crowd The kitchen will mostly offer salads and different finger foods other menu items will include assorted panini melts which could also include live musicians on the weekends the owners said the plan is to be open 7 days a week (WLNE) — Emergency personnel recovered a body on Chandler Avenue Friday afternoon ABC 6 News crews on scene saw a stretcher bring the body out of a wooded area The Taunton Police Department has directed all questions to the Bristol District Attorney’s Office who have not yet responded to a request for comment This is a developing story and will be updated with more information Taunton residents were excited to see a new mural of their city unveiled this week but some out-of-towners might question the name featured on the massive artwork Monday night Mayor Shauna O'Connell was on hand outside Goldstein's 5&10 on Bay Street to unveil the first of many murals being painted around the city Mayor O'Connell's Mural Program was announced last year as a way to brighten some of the less colorful buildings in the city but it seems it's also a way to introduce some of Taunton's specific neighborhoods to those who may not know about them The first of six murals in this new program was painted on Goldstein's wall by LA-Based artist Phill Bourque a Taunton native who has painted there in the past Though the mural program is for the entire city Bourque's newest work highlights Taunton's Whittenton neighborhood specifically While some might be confused by the town named featured on the mural locals know each neighborhood has their own history and charm The unique artwork shouts out Whittenton's beloved Henry's Root Beer Stand and even features the allegedly haunted rocking chair headstone at Mayflower Hill Cemetery A beautiful tribute to one of Taunton's 11 neighborhoods, with more to come in the next six months. The Mayor's Mural Program will ultimately feature six huge paintings, some throughout downtown and another historical mural coming to the Riverhouse Restaurant New artwork unveiled in Taunton has some wondering about the 'Entering Whittenton' sign. Here's why it's featured in this larger-than-life painting.\nRead More Monday night Mayor Shauna O'Connell was on hand outside Goldstein's 5&10 on Bay Street to unveil the first of many murals being painted around the city The first of six murals in this new program was painted on Goldstein's wall by LA-Based artist Phill Bourque The unique artwork shouts out Whittenton's beloved Henry's Root Beer Stand and even features the allegedly haunted rocking chair headstone at Mayflower Hill Cemetery A beautiful tribute to one of Taunton's 11 neighborhoods, with more to come in the next six months. The Mayor's Mural Program will ultimately feature six huge paintings, some throughout downtown and another historical mural coming to the Riverhouse Restaurant (This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.) The latest MIAA Power Rankings of the Spring 2025 season were released Friday morning All teams ranked in the top 32 of their division as well as any team ranked below 32 with a record of .500 or better will qualify for their division's respective tournament the sports that the MIAA calculates power rankings for are baseball rugby (boys and girls) and boys volleyball are the defending champions in their respective divisions Here are the latest standings as of Friday morning: Division 1: In- Bridgewater-Raynham (25); Out-Taunton (42) Division 1: In- Bridgewater-Raynham (23); Out- Taunton (38) told Judge Claudine Cloutier in Bristol County Superior Court that he was guilty of all four charges against him: manslaughter while driving under the influence leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death causing serious injury while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury a longtime social worker who became a Fall River crossing guard in her retirement was severely injured; she died of her injuries on March 28 Also injured in the accident was McGowan’s teenage niece Ponte will serve six to seven years in state prison he is required to undergo substance abuse counseling and complete 100 hours of community service Ponte hugged and kissed several family members in attendance Members of his family wept during the proceedings Ponte told Cloutier he is a Taunton High School graduate and has two children – a 3-year-old daughter and a year-old son he was taken away by court officers in handcuffs Members of Ponte’s family had no comment after the hearing McGowan picked up Roderick after the girl had finished working a shift at a local restaurant Prosecutors said surveillance video shows Ponte’s Mercedes swerving and crashing into the front end of McGowan’s vehicle — despite evasive measures she took by slowing down and pulling into the breakdown lane of Route 44 Ponte walked away from the scene and entered a nearby Irving Gas station with lacerations to his face A male passenger in Ponte’s car survived without apparent injuries and called 911 Ponte was interviewed in Rhode Island Hospital where he was treated for a fractured hip and ankle Ponte allegedly told police he had no recollection of the crash or where he had been driving earlier that night and had no memory of having a passenger in his car Prosecutors said Ponte’s blood alcohol level was tested at 0.16 Ponte also allegedly admitted to police the night of the crash that he had been drinking his response was “not enough,” police said Members of McGowan's family address defendant: 'Nobody's fault but his' Three family members made impact statements to the court “I remember every single detail of that night of the crash and it plays like a horror movie in my head She said she is tormented by the image of her aunt slumped over the steering wheel and having seen security camera footage of herself crawling from the wreckage Roderick also noted that she felt survivor’s guilt afterward but I now know it was nobody’s fault but his,” she said All family members noted that McGowan was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous with Roderick noting that she received her 40-year sobriety chip while unconscious in her hospital bed being treated for her injuries “I will forever be angry that she never got to experience that milestone for herself,” Roderick said Sister Patricia Roderick told the court that McGowan was not only her sister but best friend She told the judge that McGowan had been honored in March with a plaque at the President Avenue corner where she led students to and from Spencer Borden Elementary School Niece Katie McGowan said she hoped that this tragedy would lead to reflection and growth in Ponte that “her legacy [could] be a force for good.”  She said McGowan’s positive energy inspired herself and others to live with authenticity “She taught us how to live,” McGowan said through tears “And I hope I see him on the street in 10 years and that he’s living life.”  TAUNTON (WBSM) — The identity and cause of death of the deceased male found behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton early this morning have been released the man has been identified as 39-year-old Stephan Myers of Falmouth Quinn said Myers died as a result of a single gunshot wound The D.A.'s Office did not say whether or not there were any suspects in his death Myers’ body was discovered early this morning in a construction area behind the school The D.A.’s Office said earlier today that “foul play is suspected” but that “there is no threat to the public nor any known connection between the decedent and the high school.” The identity and cause of death of the deceased male found behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton this morning have been released.\nRead More TAUNTON (WBSM) — The identity and cause of death of the deceased male found behind Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton early this morning have been released of Falmouth was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Wednesday April 30 morning Myers’ body was discovered in a construction area behind the campus of Bristol-Plymouth Technical School in Taunton Foul play is suspected and the investigation remains open officials from the Massachusetts State Police and the district attorney’s office said there is no danger to the public and no known connection to the high school which District Attorney Thomas Quinn identified as the cause of death Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist A look back at what was making headlines years ago An e-newsletter with Bourne news sent each Wednesday Receive notices of breaking news for the Upper Cape An e-newsletter with Falmouth news sent each Tuesday A Monday morning e-newsletter with stories that readers might have overlooked in Friday's editions and a roundup of the stories that attracted the most attention on the Enterprise's website during the past week An e-newsletter with Mashpee news sent each Wednesday An e-newsletter with Sandwich news sent each Wednesday An e-newsletter sent on Thursdays highlighting local entertainment for the coming week A good news e-newsletter delivered every Saturday morning.   A Friday e-newsletter with headlines from all four Upper Cape towns Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Another week of the spring high school sports season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area Last week Bridgewater-Raynham track and field hosted and won the 2nd Annual Mercury Invitational while a Bridgewater-Raynham lacrosse player reached a career milestone Dighton-Rehoboth baseball scored a walk-off win over Oliver Ames while Taunton baseball suffered a narrow loss to defending Division 1 champions BC High in a potential postseason preview Dighton-Rehoboth baseball's Lucas LeTourneau came in second with 28% while Dighton-Rehoboth volleyball's Andrew Cabral received 20% to finish third Now is your chance to choose the Taunton Daily Gazette High School Boys Athlete of the Week for April 21-27 Only players from teams that submitted stats to the Gazette or made them readily available online are featured in this poll Scores and stats can be submitted via email to cmerritt@tauntongazette.com Voting can only be done through the poll below and any votes submitted by email or other means will not be counted TauntonTomaszycki went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI and tossing the first 4 shutout innings giving up a hit and 6 walks while striking out 6 against BC High Bridgewater-RaynhamCattoggio went 1-for-1 with a run and an RBI off a solo home run against Dartmouth Weldon went 4-for-4 with 3 runs and an RBI while striking out 2 in ⅔ of an inning of work against Bay Path Dighton-RehobothMiller went 4-for-4 with a pair of runs and a pair of RBIs against Somerset Berkley Carfagna had 4 goals and an assist against Lexington Solitro had 8 goals and an assist against Taunton personal best) at the 2nd Annual Mercury Games Banville finished 10th overall in the discus (114 feet 5 inches personal best) at the 2025 MSTCA Warrior Invitational Sullivan finished second in the 100 meter (0:11.68) at the Southeastern Invitational Bridgewater-Raynham lacrosse captured the Trojan Classic title while a Trojan captain as well as a pair of Dighton-Rehoboth players Taunton softball scored a big non-league win out in Western Mass to stay perfect while Dighton-Rehoboth softball shut out a fellow SCC and Division 3 powerhouse and Bridgewater-Raynham and Dighton-Rehoboth track and field both had several strong showings at a pair of meets Taunton softball's Cate Larson came in second with 27% while Dighton-Rehoboth track and field's Jalissa Raphino received 5% to finish third Now is your chance to choose the Taunton Daily Gazette High School Girls Athlete of the Week for April 21-27 a pair of runs and four RBIs and tossing all 7 innings giving up 4 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7 against Westfield Bridgewater-RaynhamRoy went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs against King Philip Smith went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and 3 RBIs against Somerset Berkley TauntonSzala had a pair of goals against Dighton-Rehoboth McLaren had 5 goals and a pair of assists against Oliver Ames Ericson had 12 goals against Greater New Bedford Papa had 6 goals and a pair of assists against Seekonk Mitchell won both the javelin (100 feet 3 inches personal best) and shot put (26 feet 5.5 inches personal best) at the Southeastern Invitational Albon finished 7th overall in the javelin (93 feet 6 inches) at the 2025 MSTCA Warrior Invitational Raphino won the triple jump (33 feet 2.5 inches) at the 2nd Annual Mercury Games 6-2 in third singles against Old Rochester TAUNTON — Taunton City Hall and Taunton Public Schools have been experiencing ongoing computer network issues that have lasted more than a week Taunton Public Schools has been without internet since last Tuesday according to a spokesperson for the District "Taunton Public Schools is thoroughly investigating the ongoing internet outage and will share confirmed findings once the root cause is identified." Mayor Shaunna O'Connell submitted a statement confirming that City of Taunton Departments have been dealing with network issues since yesterday and they "are being reviewed and assessed by our IT professionals." Is it a cyber attack?Neither the school district nor city hall have given any indication on whether or not the cause of the network outage is a cyberattack Both entities have said the investigation is ongoing "We will not speculate until all facts are known," said the district "As soon as further information is available Business as usualTaunton Public Schools said all important operations are still going "Our educators are continuing instruction without disruption We are confident in our team's work and will keep staff O'Connell stated that police and fire services haven't been affected and employee are continuing to do their jobs or about 4% of computers used by New Bedford city employees across all departments and it impacted the city government for weeks It was reported the culprits had demanded $5.3 million from New Bedford The city offered $400,000 from insurance proceeds but the attacker rejected the demand and made no counter-demand The city then proceeded to recover its own data In July 2021, the Brockton Police Department was also the victim of a cyber attack though it wasn't ever confirmed if it was a ransomware attack In December 2022, Bristol Community College was the victim of a ransomware attack that affected the school's internet email and computer network for about a week At the time, information released to the public on these incidents was scarce due to officials being strongly advised by cyber professionals against providing details This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available With additional reporting from Emma Rindlisbacher TAUNTON – South Coast Rail is officially open and ready to take you to Boston That was the primary exclamation made by officials, coming from all over the region and beyond, who came down to Taunton on March 24 for the official kick-off ceremony at East Taunton's rail station "It was a great ride," said Governor Maura Healey, fresh off of her inaugural trip on the rail line arriving to Taunton from Fall River's Depot station we have here a South Coast Rail," was the Governor's exclamation about the first commuter rail to bring train travel back to Southeastern Massachusetts in decades The 37-mile South Coast Rail line has officially been dubbed the Fall River/New Bedford Line by MBTA Historical milestoneMunicipal officials from communities spanning all across the South Coast in addition to state officials from Boston and members of MBTA's workforce came for the celebration held under a massive tent in the parking lot of East Taunton Station about 500 people were under the tent by 11:30 a.m "This is a monumental achievement and a game-changer," said Taunton Mayor Shaunna O' Connell who touted all the opportunities for employment and economic growth the rail will bring to the city and region before she welcomed the Governor to deliver her speech Healey called the rail line "a win for the region," and "transformative" as it connects people to Boston "people now have more options," through the rail Healey thanked all the riders for their advocacy and for dealing with all the obstacles and delays the South Coast Rail project endured over the years Giving flowersHealey thanked Jean Fox, director of South Coast Rail and de facto face of the project, for her years of dedication in bringing the project to fruition extended applause she received from the room consisting of many state and local officials and state employees who know and have worked with her "it is an amazing feeling" and "we've waited so long" finally seeing the Fall River/New Bedford line operational in her region Photos: First MBTA commuter rail trains leave New Bedford and Fall River MBTA was turning away visitors to the East Taunton Station trying to arrive by car Fox stated the tent for the event was so big that only 100 parking spaces remained for the public Anyone not arriving to the station by rail had to find parking at a nearby overflow lot on Mozzone Blvd GATRA shuttled in guests from the overflow lot to the station's kickoff event Fox said the lack of parking was due to today's event and though she couldn't remember the maximum parking capacity for the station said that "extensive ridership studies" and parking studies were done for determining the ideal amount of parking at the East Taunton station 10 common questions Can you take a dog on South Coast Rail? Are there bathrooms on board? The East Taunton station is located at 1141 County St. which is near the intersection of Route 24 and Route 140 Dubbed by Jean Fox as “the most complex station in the program,” the station has elevator access and is fully accessible The earliest train from the East Taunton station leaves at 4:50 a.m The last rail train out of Boston during the weekday leaves at around 1 a.m Trains should run every 70 minutes on weekdays and every 2 hours on weekends Late-night service will be offered for South Coast Rail with the last train leaving Boston just before midnight All South Coast Rail stations have parking This includes handicapped accessible parking and electric vehicle charging spots Commuter rail parking at the six South Coast rail station lots — Middleboro and New Bedford – will be free March 24 through April 30 Standard parking rates for South Coast Rail stations are $4 per day on weekdays and $2 per day on weekends/holidays Fare-free weekday service will be available on the Fall River/New Bedford line each weekday from March 24-31 Fare-free service will also be available on the Fall River/New Bedford line on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) between March 29 and April 27 Passengers can ride for free if they are boarding or ending their ride at one of the six South Coast Rail stations Riders should share their origin and destination stations with conductors in order to receive free travel passengers will pay $12.25 (one-way) per ticket and a reduced fare of $6 (one-way) per ticket for people 65 or older Fares for the new Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line can be purchased using the mTicket app for iOS and Android A fare purchased with mTicket is valid anytime for 90 days after buying it; passengers activate tickets once they board 10-ride or monthly tickets with the mTicket app Tickets can also be bought with cash on board. For more information, visit at mbta.com/mTicket.  With additional reporting from Chris Helms TAUNTON —  Taunton City Councilor Estele Borges is considering a campaign for Taunton mayor "I've had a lot of people from across the city and throughout the business community encouraging me to run for mayor," Borges told the Gazette in a text message "At the same time I have become very concerned about some of the challenges facing the city so I'm exploring the idea In a filing with the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance Borges also updated the "office sought" entry in her campaign committee's paperwork to indicate she is seeking the position of mayor in Taunton Games to watch Mark your calendar for these 12 Greater Taunton area softball games this spring According to the city's Election Department the election for city offices such as mayor and city councilor will be held on Tuesday A preliminary election will be held on Tuesday The preliminary election will essentially function as a primary in the event that multiple candidates run for mayor Impeccable Cape in desirable Taunton neighborhood sold for over $700K: Weekly home sales Borges previously ran for mayor against Shaunna O'Connell in 2019 Borges also mounted an unsuccessful run as the Democratic challenger to then-State Rep Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell's spokesperson said that O'Connell is focused "on doing her job." Mayor Shaunna O’Connell is going to focus on doing her job because she puts people ahead of politics," Robichaud said "Nomination papers are not even available yet Mayor Shaunna O’Connell will be running for re-election but she will be making her official announcement at an appropriate time." "Mayor Shaunna O’Connell has improved the city’s bond rating to the highest level ever saving taxpayers millions of dollars She has increased grant funding 800 percent," Robichaud said "Under Mayor O’Connell’s leadership the city’s investment income has increased an astonishing amount from $400,000 to $11 million The public safety building is coming in $10 million below estimates All of this has happened while the Mayor has improved services improved transparency with internal audits and other actions and paved over 20 percent of the city’s roads." (WJAR) — A Taunton woman says a man who once worked for her family’s company is now accused of breaking into her home two firearms and irreplaceable family heirlooms Authorities say the three men forced their way into Brittany Devine’s Winthrop Street home on Jan and stole a safe containing $50,000 in cash and two legally purchased firearms The entire break-in was captured on surveillance cameras inside Devine’s home "They went straight up the stairs," Devine said "It was like you knew someone that had been here before." "I honest to God didn’t care about the money but two of the brand-new firearms that I just bought were in there," Devine said Devine didn’t recognize the masked man in her home another security camera caught the getaway car "It ticked something with me It was like a light bulb went off," she said That’s when she recognized Hatch—her former employee "He applied to work for us in 2022 Just for a few months," she said "We watched training videos on the TV He’d go up the stairs to go to the bathroom." Detectives with the Taunton Police Major Crimes Unit tracked the suspects down three weeks later Hatch was arrested without incident on Feb Hatch and Rodrigues were charged with drug trafficking in addition to burglary and firearm theft All three men are expected back in court in March Devine says the burglary has changed her and her wife’s sense of security "It takes away the complete safety net that you feel in your home," she said "It’s weird It’s almost like staying at a hotel now." She says her wife no longer feels comfortable at home alone One of them passed away a couple days after," Devine said Devine has always believed in giving people a second chance Police have not confirmed whether the stolen firearms have been recovered TAUNTON — The new year will bring several brand new businesses in downtown Taunton to check out and explore The Gazette reached out to the Taunton Chamber of Commerce and the Office of Economic and Community Development to get the skinny on a few new and unique retail businesses coming soon to the Silver City “We’re thrilled to welcome these new businesses to our community These additions reflect the strength and growth of our local economy and the Chamber is proud to support their success every step of the way,” said Kris Silva President and CEO of Taunton Chamber of Commerce about the new businesses coming to the area Here are three new businesses to look forward to: New restaurants opening in 2025 Here are 6 to keep an eye on in Taunton area Serendipity Crystals & Bookshop will be opening at 1 Main St at the corner of Main and Weir streets in downtown Taunton Taunton Office of Economic and Community Development Director Jay Pateakos said when Serendipity opens up All about new gift shop New Taunton gift shop features local homemade items and supply store for military and first responders is opening at 14 Merchants Lane in the building adjacent to the parking lot First Defense Supply has its primary location in Fitchburg Pateakos said he anticipates First Defense Supply to be pretty popular as the nearest uniform store for first responders is in Dedham First Defense Supply is looking to open up this winter inside the New York Lace building in downtown Taunton This business is marketing itself on its social media page as the “newest destination for beauty Offerings at Kiara MedSpa include cosmetic injectables vitamin therapies and other forms of personal care Its grand opening and ribbon cutting, hosted by the Taunton Chamber of Commerce TAUNTON – Having one’s home burglarized can frighten anyone Brittany Devine admits she was one of those who believed it would never happen to her - until it did One perpetrator broke in through the front door while two others stayed outside in a silver Ford Explorer All three perpetrators wore masks and dark clothes according to footage from the home surveillance system The one inside the home went upstairs to the bedroom and grabbed a safe from the closet He rolled the safe down the stairs and pushed it out the front door Footage showed one of the two outside got out to help load the safe into the vehicle A significant amount of money and firearms were stolen On Feb. 3, Taunton Police arrested three Taunton men in connection with the robbery “I used to leave the doors unlocked,” Devine said about her home Both she and her wife weren’t home when the break-in occurred but “not feeling completely secure” in your own home “is the worst feeling in the world,” she said Inside the safe was a little over $70,000 in cash “There was plenty of expensive stuff worth money in the home,” said Devine Devine said the burglar was in her home somewhere between 7-9 minutes An unlikely duo with shared passion: Easton grandmother, grandson rebuild Firebird together After the incident, Devine posted footage and screenshots of the break-in from her camera system on her social media asking the public for help on the identities of the perpetrators “This was a horrific experience; the aftermath of it being even worse that was once a sanctuary to us,” said Devine in her Facebook post offering $5,000 to anyone providing information to the police that would lead to arrests Devine said footage from her neighbors’ camera systems were also given to Taunton Police which was able to identify the getaway car Devine isn't aware of any tips sent to Taunton Police resulting in the arrests “It sounds like it was just awesome police work.” Here's what we know. Alleging discrimination, Taunton restaurant sues board of health. Taunton Police Department announced via a press release that three people were arrested on Feb 3 by Major Crime Unit in connection to the January 13 home burglary: the drug offences were the result of search warrants During a search of a Buick Regal owned by Hatch police found a backpack containing $25,100 in cash 109 grams of small blue pills identified as fentanyl and 159 grams of small orange/pink pills identified as methamphetamine All three defendants were arraigned in Taunton District Court also on February 3 All three are currently being held without bail Devine told The Gazette she knew one of the alleged assailants Devine is co-owner of Devine Fence a fence installation and repair company with an office also on Winthrop Street One of the three arrested worked for her briefly Devine recalled hosting a training seminar at her home during that period which the alleged attended Besides having the opportunity to learn the layout of her home Devine said he could have also learned while working for her that some money from the business was kept in a safe at her home while not hidden away in wall space behind a painting Devine said she believes they were intentionally looking for the safe Devine and her wife adopt rescue animals with medical and physical conditions that otherwise make them less appealing to other pet owners or shorten their life spans She said many of their pets have remained traumatized since the break-in hiding more during the day and requiring medication to calm and de-stress them which was brought in from being a stray on the street has gone back to being reactive and scared of every noise Devine said she can’t confirm if its related but she believes the stress from the incident couldn’t have been good for him Devine said she and her wife are never using a safe in their home again Lt. John Joyce, public information officer with Taunton Police Department said a key factor in determining the effectiveness of a safe is the size and weight lighter safes are easier for thieves to move and take with them Another recommendation from Joyce is to bolt or fasten the safe down to the floor He also said “placement of the safe in your home is very important.”  This means don’t place it in an area that’s visible from an outside window or a high-trafficked spot in the home where visitors Devine also said something she’s learned is to “not have unnecessary people in your home” and to keep track of every person Moving forwardSince learning of the arrests it’s been comforting,” explaining her wife has been dealing with many sleepless nights Devine said none of what was recovered by Taunton Police has yet been returned as its classified as evidence for the cases She also said she’s accepted that most of the money stolen won’t be recovered or reimbursed as she believes based on the charges for the alleged assailants most of it may have been spent on the drugs discovered through the search warrants What Devine said she cared about the most from the stolen safe who recently passed away in November:  a graduation diploma and pin from Massasoit Community College She explained her mother went back to school later in life it’s a symbol of strength and determination from her mother