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Early voting begins Oct. 17

Voters can hit the polls before Election Day, with early voting beginning Saturday, Oct. 17. Here’s how to be prepared. This year’s ballot is longer than normal because there are nine ballot…

Girl Scout earns Bronze Award for emergency responder stuffed animal drive

Ainslee Manduca brought stuffed animals to Wareham EMS over a month ago, which EMS Director Brad Allen said the staff received well. Submitted photos

Ainslee Manduca broke her first bone at 11 months old. She and many of her family members suffer from osteogenesis imperfecta, or OI, which weakens…

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Team South Coast Bikeway pedals for two causes

Team South Coast Bikeway raised thousands for clean water and the South Coast Bikeway at the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s watershed ride.

Team South Coast Bikeway raised $42,895 at the Buzzards Bay watershed ride on Oct. 4. The team rides to support clean water and promote the South Coast Bikeway. The South Coast Bikeway advocates extending the region’s shared-use paths, many that are...

Select Board forfeits right of purchasing three properties

Director of Planning Joshua Faherty speaks to the Select Board. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The Select Board voted to forfeit its right to purchase or otherwise work to preserve three agriculture properties rather than see the land be put to more intensive use. The owners of all three plots — two owned by A.D. Makepeace Company, off...

Changes in dog licensing proposed

The Select Board at its meeting on Oct. 6. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

Animal Control Officer Kelly Jarabek has proposed two changes in dog-related bylaws for Town Meeting to consider this fall. Speaking to the Select Board on Oct. 6, she explained why she wants to require the dog licenses be obtained in the first...

Harvest Moon Festival to return Oct. 11 with some changes

A contestant shows off his car at the 2025 festival's car show. File photo

After being delayed due to a nor’easter, the annual Onset Harvest Moon Festival is back on. The festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held at and around the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell. Live music and the...

Student smarties: Wareham middle school's outstanding students

Three students were selected as Wareham middle school's students of the month.

Three oustanding students were selected as the middle school's September students of the month: Jounir Bebawy, Kali Hall and Keirra Nelson. Fifth grader Bebawy's teachers said she is a respectful and dependable student, who has a strong work ethic...

Town acquires new emergency rescue vehicle

The high-water emergency rescue vehicle. Photo source: Emergency Management

The town's Emergency Management Department has a new high-water rescue vehicle to respond to flooding, severe storms, coastal emergencies, evacuations and other incidents unfit for normal emergency vehicles. The vehicle has an automated external...

Buzzards Bay Coalition purchases 100 acres of bog land

The Buzzards Bay Coalition will soon begin restoration work on the Beaver Dam Creek, which flows through the 100 acres of bog land the group purchased. Photo source: Buzzard's Bay Coalition

The Buzzards Bay Coalition has purchased 100 acres of cranberry bog land along Route 6 with the intention of restoring a creek on the property. The cranberry bogs sit on either side of a commercial stretch of Route 6 near Kool Kone. Running through...

Cyclists ride through Wareham to support Buzzards Bay Coalition

Cyclists pass through Wareham on their way to Falmouth for the Buzzards Bay Coalition Watershed ride Oct. 4. Photos by Grace Roche

Wareham saw a stream of cyclists, many in brightly-colored kits, throughout Sunday for the Buzzards Bay Coalition Watershed Ride. Riders pedaled through town in support of the coalition’s work to protect and restore clean water in Buzzards Bay and...

Wareham sips and strolls the afternoon away

Beth Kelly from Art on the Spot paints a Spiderman design on a young girl's face. She has been facepainting for 15 years. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni

Thousands of children, families and furry friends gathered at Besse Park on Oct. 3 for the Sip & Stroll Harvest Fair. Attendants got glitter tattoos and facepaint, shopped from artisan vendors and feasted on autumn foods. The first Sip & Stroll...

Superintendent plans to address AI, technology use

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson presented her school-improvement plan to the School Committee.

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson wants to tackle early literacy and limit technology use. Her hefty improvement plan for the 2026-27 school year, presented to the School Committee at its Oct. 2 meeting, has a range of goals for improving student...

Wareham graduates win Cape Verdean culture center's scholarships

Gabreilla Perry is studying psychology at Salem State University.

Gabriella Perry and Drayson Andrade won the Oak Grove Cape Verdean Cultrual Center's Mary V. Rose scholarship this year. The scholarship will help ease monetary obligations for the town's high school graduates as they strive toward academic goals....

Lodge of Elks donates to Veterans Day Parade

Col. Matt Stanton and JRTOC cadets Aaron Legg and Emily Morais accept a donation toward the town's Veterans Day Parade. Photo source: Nora Bicki

The Wareham-New Bedford Lodge of Elks #73 donated $2,500 to support the town's Veterans Day Parade. The check was accepted by JROTC teacher and VeteransDay Parade Committee member Col. Matt Stanton and JROTC cadets Aaron Legg and Emily Morais, who...

Interfaith group to hold peace vigil in Center Park

Wareham Faith in Action members hold signs during a June peace walk along Main St. File photo

All that Wareham Faith in Action wants is peace. The interfaith organization, which started last year, will be spreading its message of peace and unity among all humans during its first peace vigil on Saturday, Oct. 10. The group has held three...

How Wareham uses its Flock cameras and other license plate readers

A Flock camera in Onset. Photo by Nick Mossman

UPDATE: This story was updated on Friday, Oct. 2 with more search audit information from a public records request to the Wareham Police Department. To learn more about how Flock cameras and other license plate readers work, read our explainer by...

What is a Flock camera? Here’s how they work

A Flock camera in Onset. Photo by Nick Mossman

Read our investigation into how Flock cameras and other license plate readers are used across Wareham by clicking this link. Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers are being used across Wareham, taking photos and monitoring cars...

Replacement hired for controversial building commissioner

There is a new building commissioner in Wareham. The town hired Chris Carchia, a carpenter and the chair of the Scituate Zoning Board of Appeals, to replace the recently retired Paul Turner. Carchia began his role as building commissioner on Sept....

PASS program offers afternoon schooling to earn high school diploma

PASS program graduates during their graduation ceremony in June. Submitted photos

Jenna Athamni, 18, is in her first semester of college today. But there was a day that she believed she wouldn’t finish high school. A Wareham afternoon school program offered her an alternative to regular and online school, both of which didn’t...

Sewer plant upgrade deteriorated nearby neighborhood’s quality of life

This April, an odor control method by the sewer plant filled the nearby neighborhood with smoke. Photo source: Sally Morrison

A Wareham neighborhood has been living with a regular smell of feces from the nearby wastewater treatment plant. The plant operator’s solution this spring — trying to mask the smell by burning woodchips — filled nearby homes with smoke. The...

Dangerousness hearing set for New Bedford man with four assault counts

Shawn Michael Ferguson, center, in Wareham District Court on Sept. 23. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

NOTE: The Oct.1 hearing was postponed until Nov. 5. A judge will hold a dangerousness hearing for a New Bedford man who attacked his girlfriend and chased people with an axe in Swifts Beach on Thursday, Oct. 1. Depending on the judge’s ruling,...

'Pretty intense’: Tree falls on East Wareham house, car during storm

The tree fell onto Susan Mastria's Woodside Avenue home just before 3 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26. Photos by Christian Uva

A tree fell and Susan Mastria was around to hear it. “It was just like a boom,” she said. That boom came from a large tree splitting apart and landing on her house, garage and car during the recent nor'easter. The tree fell just before 3 a.m. on...

Athletes, coaches, team to be inducted into High School Athletics Hall of Fame

The Wareham High School Athletics Hall of Fame will induct a new class of athletes of coaches at a ceremony on Nov. 28. Four athletes will be inducted: Henry Govoni, class of 1956; Wayne Sylvester, class of 1981; Erin Lydon King, class of 1996; and...

Stay prepared during nor’easter

Wareham, along with the rest of the Northeast, faces a large nor’easter with heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. Many events planned for the weekend, including the Onset Harvest Moon Festival, have been cancelled and rescheduled...

Onset Harvest Moon Festival postponed

The Onset Bay Association announced that it postponed the Onset Harvest Moon Festival to Sunday, Oct. 11 as a nor’easter approaches the East Coast. “We have made the challenging decision to move the Festival,” the Onset Bay Association wrote in an...

Superintendent says MCAS progress is ‘encouraging’

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson at a Sept. 17 School Committee meeting. Photo by Christian Uva

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson said she was encouraged by progress across the district on the 2026 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS. “Our schools have worked hard to reduce chronic absenteeism, and the data show...

Students improve MCAS scores from year ago but lag behind state

A Massachusetts student takes the MCAS online. Photo source: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Students across grades improved some of their scores on the 2026 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS. Despite the trend, though, scores throughout the town fell below the statewide averages. Science, technology and engineering...

New agent joins Jack Conway Real Estate

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Diane Strzelecki has joined the Wareham office at Jack Conway Real Estate. Strzelecki brings 24 years of real estate experience. Throughout her career, she has enjoyed working with the public and helping people through the buying and selling...

Buzzards Bay Coalition ride celebrates 20 years

To commemorate the 20th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride, the Buzzards Bay Coalition is offering “20 for 20,” a 20-mile route for the first time. The ride takes place Sunday, Oct. 4 and features 100-, 41-, and 20-mile route options. The trek ride...

Yearning for yarn? Upcoming library sale has you covered

From left to right, Louise Paolella, Harriet Green and Maureen Cunningham measure and sort fabric. Photos by Sue Jackson

Hundreds of skeins of yarn surrounded volunteers at the Wareham Free Library. They sat on the floor, classifying zippers, snaps, quilting rulers and hoops and labeling, bagging and pricing yarn. Knitting needles, notions and pattern pamphlets line...

Grand Marshal chosen for Veterans Day Parade

Robert Edward Sylvia.

The Wareham Veterans Day Parade Committee has chosen the 2026 Grand Marshal for its upcoming parade. Robert Edward Silvia joined the United States Marine Corps in 1969. After completing boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, he served a tour...

Axe-wielding New Bedford man arrested for attack on Swifts Beach

Shawn Michael Ferguson was arraigned in Wareham District Court on Monday, Sept. 21. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

A New Bedford man was arraigned in Wareham District Court on Monday, Sept. 21 after reports he repeatedly struck his girlfriend and ran after a bystander Saturday, Sept. 19, after chasing others with an axe earlier that morning. Wareham Police...

‘History is not just found in books’: Colonial reenactment honors veteran heroes

During the plaque ceremony, the Wareham Minutemen and Militia performed a three-musket volley salute by firing their arms.

Over 100 people stepped into the late 1700s on Saturday, Sept. 19 and recognized Wareham’s contribution to our free nation. They listened to a fife and drum corps, walked around a Revolutionary War encampment and tried traditional activities and...

Man involved in Wareham road rage incident allegedly wielding ax apprehended

Police searching the vehicle at Swifts beach. Photos by David Curran

A man was apprehended after allegedly assaulting a woman at a Route 195 Wareham rest stop on Saturday, Sept. 19. The incidident occurred early Saturday morning, and the man was apparently wielding an ax. The vehicle and the ax were found at Swifts...

First grade tutoring, classroom technology use study on the horizon

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson reports to the School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson is already moving forward on her goals for her first year in charge of Wareham Schools. She announced at the Sept. 17 School Committee meeting that 60 first graders will start one-on-one English tutoring starting...

Select Board discusses town meeting agenda, potential land purchase

The Select Board discussed the October Town Meeting agenda at its meeting. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The Select Board set the agenda for fall Town Meeting, adjusted fees for permits the board handles and, in a short closed-door executive session, discussed the Onset property formerly occupied by Onset Patio and Grille. The Sept. 15 meeting...

Fearing Hill solar farm protested at Planning Board meeting

A group of concerned residents protested the Fearing Hill solar farm during the Planning Board meeting on Monday, Sept. 14. The protesters gathered at the Multi Service Center before the Planning Board held an information session about the status of...

‘Integrity’: Jim Brogioli, coach, teacher, mentor, community pillar

Jim Brogioli coaching the Wareham Vikings basketball team on the sidelines of the court that would later be named in his honor. Photos submitted by Kevin Brogioli

Jim Brogioli skied until he was 83 years old. He and a few former teachers he was close with would sometimes rent a house in New Hampshire a few times to ski for a week. Wareham High School Principal Scott Palladino said that the one time he joined...

Down on the Frogfoot Farm

Frogfoot - Marion Institute

For the Marion Institute, six-acre patch of marginal farmland a short distance off Tihonet Road in Wareham helps accomplish two goals: Encouraging the consumption of local produce and combatting food insecurity on the South Coast. Videographer...

JROTC students bond during Wickets Island campout

Far out in Onset Bay, a group of high schoolers grew closer. Cadets from the Wareham High School JROTC program boated out to Wickets Island for a 24-hour campout on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12. They bonded over a host of team-building...

The games begin for Wareham Youth Soccer

Grace Pacheco, 10, said it felt "good" to score her first goal. Photos by Christian Uva

Youth soccer is back. The Wareham Youth Soccer Club kicked off its season on Saturday, Sept. 12. The younger teams played each other at the start. As the morning went on, older players hit the pitch. A team of older boys closed out by facing...

High school fall sports kick off

A Wareham soccer player corrals the ball during the team's 6-1 win on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Photo by Christian Uva

Wareham High School athletes returned to the field for their first games of the 2026 fall season. The boys soccer, girls soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball teams all played their first games on Tuesday, Sept. 8. “We’ve trained really hard...

Sip & Stroll returns to Wareham Oct. 3

An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate hours. Sip & Stroll Harvest Fair will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Besse Park & Warren’s Harborview, 59 Main St. The event will feature an afternoon of cocktails and...

Planning Board to hold info session on done deal Fearing Hill solar project

A 2021 map of the proposed Fearing Hill solar farm. File photo

The controversial Fearing Hill solar farm project appears to be on the track to construction. The Planning Board will hold a public information session about the project at its Sept. 14 meeting. Although advertised as a public hearing, the meeting...

Superintendent sets out to improve elementary school literacy

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson at an Aug. 20 School Committee meeting. Photo by Christian Uva

Many Wareham Elementary School students are not reading at grade level. Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson is trying to change that. Hartley-Matteson presented her plan to assess and improve the school’s literature education at the Sept. 3 School...

Man lifeflighted after being struck by vehicle

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A 52-year-old man operating an E-bike suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a motor vehicle Saturday, Sept. 5 in the area of 133 Onset Ave. Due to the severity of the bicyclist’s injuries, he was transported by Med-Flight to an area...

Finding joy at the Bandshell during ‘Finding Nemo’

Fans of all ages enjoyed the first Movies by the Bay screening at Onset’s Lillian Gregerman Bandshell on Saturday, Sept. 5. Over 300 people came to watch “Finding Nemo,” said Marie Greig, who runs Wareham Community Outdoor Recreation, or CORE....

'Keeping the ospreys safe': How Eversource deters ospreys from nesting on poles

Ospreys return to places where their nests used to be, even after the nests are removed, like this pole in Swifts Beach. Photos by Christian Uva

High above the street, large X-shaped pieces of metal called Raptor Guards sit on top of electrical poles. But in this case, X doesn’t mark the spot. In fact, they deter ospreys that try to nest near high-voltage wires. Eversource Energy installs...

Absence made hearts grow fonder for bicentennial class reunion

A bicentennial class photo. Photos by Tootsie Russell

After graduating from Wareham High School in 1976, graduates went all across the country – to Virginia, Louisiana, California. Some stayed in Wareham. But they came together at the Bay Pointe Country Club on Aug. 29 for their 50th class reunion....

Halloween powerlifting competition with Gleason YMCA

Test your strength at the Gleason Family YMCA’s fourth annual powerlifting competition at 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at 33 Charge Pond Road. Competitors should arrive by 9:15 a.m. and are required to wear Halloween costumes. The event will also...

Savor the South Coast for a Cause

Turning Point, a resource center from the Wareham Area Committee for the Homeless, invites the community to “Taste of our Towns,” a culinary adventure featuring favorite restaurants and food vendors from the South Coast. “Taste of Oour Towns” will...

Hat’s the spirit for YMCA fundraiser

The Gleason Family YMCA will host a “Sip and Support” to fundraise for the organization's Annual Campaign. The campaign provides financial aid to those who cannot afford the organization's services, including for summer camp, child care and other...