We are a free, nonprofit, nonpartisan news site dedicated to fact-based coverage of local issues and diverse community voices. https://newbedfordlight.org/https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlw2yczszt2xAfter New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell's controversial budget presentation Wednesday, The Light asked all 11 city councilors how they would cut the budget. Four responded. Here's what they said. ⤵️ buff.ly/FMUtlhS https://newbedfordlight.org/how-would-city-councilors-tackle-the-32-million-deficit/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky15 May 2026 19:29 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlw2yczszt2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mltwd5ydet2eICYMI: Wareham native and New Bedford record store owner Roger Chouinard sat down with The Light to talk about a life devoted to music, what he’s learned about the music industry, and being in the company of some of his rock idols. buff.ly/xi9VSO3 https://buff.ly/xi9VSO314 May 2026 23:01 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltwd5ydet2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mltiyqpqhv2i"Barring a dramatic turnaround at the Supreme Court, we are not going to get rid of guns, but that does not mean we are helpless to change this story," writes Edward P. Hoffer, MD, of Marion. buff.ly/Np3kOWW https://buff.ly/Np3kOWW14 May 2026 19:02 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltiyqpqhv2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mltgt2fuwt2iMost of the time, there’s no public transportation to take visitors directly from the New Bedford station platform to downtown. And there probably won't be in the near future. buff.ly/uMbB23V https://newbedfordlight.org/no-expansion-for-new-bedford-mbta-station-shuttle-at-least-for-this-year/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky14 May 2026 18:23 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltgt2fuwt2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlt77cfl4w2xNew Bedford city councilors pushed back hard Wednesday night after Mayor Jon Mitchell unveiled a budget proposal that would raise property taxes by $16 million, cut 94 positions and shutter Fire Station 9. buff.ly/2EFFzdy 🎥 Eleonora Bianchi14 May 2026 16:07 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlt77cfl4w2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlsteyvcia2iNew Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell's budget proposal, presented Wednesday evening, includes property tax increases totaling $16 million, elimination of 94 city positions, and the shuttering of Fire Station 9. City councilors were fuming by the end of the night. buff.ly/2EFFzdy https://newbedfordlight.org/new-bedford-mayors-budget-address-calls-for-higher-taxes-layoffs-service-cuts/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky14 May 2026 12:35 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsteyvcia2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlrdkxehuq2iWant to know more about how the New Bedford public schools are working? About how the district school system and the city’s charter schools are working together on some issues? Register for The Chat with Jack Spillane featuring three school chiefs. It's Thursday, May 21, at noon. buff.ly/gLhNF0E13 May 2026 22:20 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrdkxehuq2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlr7nyzw5h2iFor the district, New Bedford Virtual Academy is a win-win. Administrators say they're plugging a growing financial leak while offering a new option to students and families who are seeking greater learning flexibility. buff.ly/O4IKOft https://newbedfordlight.org/new-bedford-launches-virtual-school-as-part-of-statewide-trend/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky13 May 2026 21:10 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlr7nyzw5h2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlr5xvnzxn2mThe New Bedford Department of Public Works has plugged away for decades on sewer upgrades and infrastructure repairs. As costs add up, the city is looking at these upgrades with a new lens — and seeking public input on the solutions. Add your feedback at the link in the story. ⤵️ buff.ly/m6NTJyO https://newbedfordlight.org/new-bedford-seeks-public-input-on-water-quality-flood-prevention-plan/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky13 May 2026 20:39 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlr5xvnzxn2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlqxwgwd532wOPINION: "It is unfortunate that simultaneously the legislative and executive officials are defying the will of a majority of citizens who voted for an audit of the Legislature," writes Betty Ussach of Dartmouth. buff.ly/PM32fTj https://newbedfordlight.org/opinion-the-incredibly-inconsistent-massachusetts-legislature/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky13 May 2026 18:51 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqxwgwd532whttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlorlxgq2k2wAnalysts used census data to determine if the new train service would have “disparate impacts” for minority populations or put “disproportionate burdens” on people with low income. buff.ly/0BXGwUS https://newbedfordlight.org/south-coast-rail-benefits-low-income-and-non-minority-residents-analysis-finds/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky12 May 2026 21:53 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlorlxgq2k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mloo6ir2pq22Neighbors of the E.L. Harvey and Sons waste transfer station say the rats have largely subsided. But the memories remain. “You couldn’t drive down [Shawmut Avenue] for weeks without squishing the rats with your tires,” resident Olivia Cabral said. buff.ly/Nk7OBSQ https://buff.ly/Nk7OBSQ12 May 2026 20:51 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloo6ir2pq22https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlmfwwhkdw2i🏫 While other schools reduce kids’ time on devices, New Bedford says its Chromebook purchases give low-income students internet access. buff.ly/r3dXYQc https://newbedfordlight.org/new-bedford-bucks-a-trend-extends-chromebook-contracts/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky11 May 2026 23:19 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmfwwhkdw2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mllyxuvn5s22The Shepherd Center, a nonprofit that supports the performing arts, is partnering with Watermelon Alligator Theatre Company to offer new classes, performances, and community programming. buff.ly/9fh6NW6 https://newbedfordlight.org/fairhaven-theater-aims-to-shepherd-people-in-the-arts/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky11 May 2026 19:27 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllyxuvn5s22https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mljpfnhojd22InPerson: At the age of 17, Roger Chouinard bought a drum set at a yard sale for $15, and his musical journey began. Now 54, the Wareham native is a record store owner and back to playing drums, enjoying real success as a member of the power rock band All Sinners. buff.ly/xi9VSO3 📝+🎥 Sean McCarthy10 May 2026 21:30 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljpfnhojd22https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlh6qrd6lo24➡️ Most-read this week: Light reporter Anastasia Lennon covered the case of a former police detective and city employee who faced charges of possession of drugs and theft of city property. buff.ly/hgnb9GU https://newbedfordlight.org/former-city-employee-and-police-detective-pleads-guilty-to-drug-charges/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky09 May 2026 21:27 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlh6qrd6lo24https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlejlufuqf22Included are provisions that would seek to prohibit federal agents from performing civil immigration arrests on courthouse grounds, child care facilities, public schools, health care facilities and places of worship. buff.ly/iJBwNf5 https://newbedfordlight.org/mass-senate-passes-immigrant-protections/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky08 May 2026 20:03 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlejlufuqf22https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlegpxbea324Opinion: Your Theatre's production of “A Few Good Men” reaches out and grabs one of the great war and peace issues of this or any other era: What is the boundary between might and right, and who gets to decide it?, Jack Spillane writes in his review. buff.ly/zfZSZ5I https://newbedfordlight.org/a-few-good-men-plumbs-the-nature-of-military-honor/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky08 May 2026 19:11 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlegpxbea324https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mldzdcy6s62iMasjid Al Ehsan, the mosque of the Islamic Society of Southeastern Massachusetts, invited the community in Sunday for Open Mosque Day, with the goal of showing guests "how familiar we [Muslims] are." buff.ly/9wq2XfZ https://newbedfordlight.org/dartmouth-mosques-open-house-explores-history-of-muslims-in-u-s/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky08 May 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldzdcy6s62ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlc5lzoqjx2bWith New Bedford facing its most serious budget challenge since the Great Recession, Mayor Jon Mitchell says the increase in support from the state is "woefully inadequate." buff.ly/qeqmOuH https://newbedfordlight.org/mitchell-historic-state-aid-proposal-is-too-little-too-late/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky07 May 2026 21:23 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlc5lzoqjx2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mlbxs3akos2mThe attorney general's office changed its stance on the measure after the Supreme Judicial Court issued an opinion saying it was unconstitutional. Still, the measure's proponents have vowed to continue the effort to change how legislative stipends are allocated. buff.ly/yXR848v https://newbedfordlight.org/ags-office-petition-to-reform-legislative-stipends-cant-proceed-to-ballot/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky07 May 2026 19:39 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbxs3akos2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml7kfyobqs2i🎨 Chasing the Muse: There is a palpable sense of genuine camaraderie and mutual respect among the master of fine arts students at UMD Art and Design Studios, despite their diverse ages, backgrounds, and philosophies.06 May 2026 20:34 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7kfyobqs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml7g6okadk24"We often call for more women, and more mothers, in leadership. But we have built a system that makes that nearly impossible to sustain," writes Christine Monska, exec director of the Women's Fund SouthCoast and Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. buff.ly/16BY8pC https://newbedfordlight.org/opinion-the-motherhood-tax-is-shaping-who-gets-to-lead/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky06 May 2026 19:19 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7g6okadk24https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml7dnri4a324The fate of a 2024 Massachusetts gun law, known as Chapter 135, will soon lie in voters’ hands. The Light breaks down what the law contains and what advocates are saying on both sides of the debate over its repeal. buff.ly/hnOH66V https://newbedfordlight.org/massachusetts-gun-regulations-will-go-before-voters-in-november/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky06 May 2026 18:33 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7dnri4a324https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml5bqkwcv72aStephen Greany will serve two years of probation. If he violates it, he could see jail time. buff.ly/hgnb9GU https://newbedfordlight.org/former-city-employee-and-police-detective-pleads-guilty-to-drug-charges/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky05 May 2026 22:54 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml5bqkwcv72ahttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml56imh6kz2p🏆 The next time you walk across the South Coast Rail pedestrian bridge, take note of its award-winning design. buff.ly/cJ0JV3z https://newbedfordlight.org/south-coast-rail-pedestrian-bridge-earns-international-design-award/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky05 May 2026 21:56 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml56imh6kz2phttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml52ynwogh24At Open Mosque Day at Masjid Al Ehsan in South Dartmouth, visitors asked questions, and leaders addressed common misconceptions about Islam and Muslim communities. The event was part of national initiative to invite the public to learn about Islam under the theme, "One Nation Under God."05 May 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml52ynwogh24https://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3ml2nmdkydx2iMiles of rivers and tributaries, including New Bedford’s Buttonwood Brook, empty into Buzzards Bay. Researchers, advocates, and city and town officials are working together to clean them up. 📝 + 🎥 Brooke Kushwaha buff.ly/GcF5elh04 May 2026 21:48 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2nmdkydx2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mky72xaqv52wThree physicians appointed by the state’s retirement commission agree Jacob Oliveira’s condition is likely to be permanent, but a physician paid by the City of New Bedford concluded the condition may improve with treatment. buff.ly/vKsEN2R https://newbedfordlight.org/new-bedford-contesting-ptsd-retirement-of-police-officer/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky03 May 2026 22:23 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mky72xaqv52whttps://bsky.app/profile/newbedfordlight.bsky.social/post/3mkv5gvf5ye2m➡️ This week's most-read story was Light reporter Anastasia Lennon's look into Vineyard Wind's power purchase agreements. While the Healey admin says Mass. ratepayers will save $1.4 billion over 20 years, experts point out that the true savings will depend on the energy market. buff.ly/x7uSipC https://newbedfordlight.org/vineyard-winds-power-contracts-switch-on-stabilizing-electricity-prices/02 May 2026 17:15 +0000at://did:plc:kzfk7d7qgnuwhrllerdi5es2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkv5gvf5ye2m