News

News

Head-on collision on Sandwich Road sends one person to the hospital

A head-on crash on Sandwich Road sent one person to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 18, according to a press release from the Wareham Police Department. The Wareham Police Department, Fire Department and EMS responded to the accident at 8:20 a.m...

Help the Onset Bay Center plan its 2021 programs

Onset Bay Center director Katherine Garofoli is hard at work planning for next year’s programs, and she’s asking the public to weigh in on the activities and events they’d most like to see. The Onset Bay Center, run by the Buzzards Bay Coalition, is...

Wareham school administrators set goals for new year: improve remote instruction, support students

One after the other on Thursday evening, Wareham Public Schools’ four principals highlighted their schools’ achievements in 2019 and 2020 and began outlining their goals for the upcoming year. Facing added challenges because of remote learning amid...

Wareham Public Schools distributes nearly 400,000 free meals during pandemic

In 2020, Wareham Public Schools has distributed close to 400,000 free meals to children under the age of 18 in Wareham. The free meal distribution program was launched by the school district in response to the covid-19 crisis and is available to any...

Wareham High School winter sports to proceed — with covid precautions

Wareham High School will allow some winter sports — namely boys and girls basketball, hockey and conditioning and fitness — to proceed with a number of covid-19 safety measures in place. Principal Scott Palladino explained that it had taken a long...

Town’s covid-19 case count continues to soar

For the first time since the pandemic began, Wareham has seen its case count rise by more than a hundred cases in a single week. The town reported 112 new cases of covid-19 in the past seven days, according to the state’s weekly public health report...

Schools, town hall close for snow; Wreaths Across America canceled

Due to the snowstorm, all Wareham students will attend school remotely today, Dec. 17. No free meals will be distributed by Wareham Public Schools. Town buildings will also be closed. “If possible, please stay off the roads,” said Town Administrator...

Covid-19 vaccine arrives in Wareham

More than 100 doses of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine arrived at Tobey Hospital on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Just after noon, Jeff McCarthy — a pharmacy manager moonlighting as a courier for the day — drove doses of the vaccine and the supplies needed to...

Board of Selectmen to express frustration about lack of federal relief funds in letter to lawmakers

Frustrated with what appears to be a refusal from the federal government to include money for municipalities in the upcoming coronavirus relief package, the Wareham Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to send a letter to Massachusetts’ members of...

Junior ROTC cadet recognized by Board of Selectmen

Wareham High School senior Keegan Cahill, a Cadet Lieutenant Colonel in the Junior ROTC, was awarded a certificate of recognition from the Board of Selectmen during the board’s Dec. 15 meeting. Cahill was recognized for his work as an honors student...

Town Hall, Multi Service Center closed except by appointment

As of Dec. 16, Wareham’s Town Hall and Multi Service Center are open to the public by appointment only. Appointments can be made by contacting the department directly. Town Hall’s phone number is 508-291-3100. Each department has its own extension:...

December Digital Book Club

The Wareham Free Library’s Digital Book Club will be discussing “NOS4A2” by Joe Hill at its December meeting. “NOS4A2” is a supernatural suspense novel the library described as “spine-tingling” and “bone-chilling” in its description. Hill is also...

Developers secure funding for Woodland Cove affordable housing development

Dakota Partners, the developers behind the proposed Woodland Cove affordable housing development at the intersection of Red Brook Road and Cranberry Highway, plan to start construction in May 2021. The developers recently secured funding for the...

Snow plows wanted, parking ban will be in place

Between Nov. 1 and April 1, there is a ban on street parking during storms with at least three inches of snow until the roads are cleared. When the town determines that a snow emergency necessitating a parking ban exists, it will be made public on...

Wareham Middle School announces December Scotty Award winner

Fifth grader Chanche Andrews is Wareham Middle School’s December Scotty Monteiro Jr. Award recipient. The school described Chanche as “a remarkably sweet young man.” The school said he is inclusive and supports all his peers. Chanche is always...

Roaring Twenties: Jazz, gangsters, and more at virtual talk

You like jazz? How about speakeasies, gangsters, silent films, and flapper dresses? One of the most romanticized eras in American history — the “Roaring Twenties” — came into focus for dozens of Dartmouth residents at a virtual Friends of the...

Winter updates to free meal distribution for kids

The Wareham Public Schools will continue to distribute free breakfasts and lunches this winter. If snow causes the schools to shift to a completely remote learning day due to road safety and transportation concerns, then meals will not be...

Judge considers motion to dismiss jury indictment in fatal stabbing case

A Plymouth Superior Court judge will determine whether or not to dismiss a grand jury’s decision to indict David Robbins — the Onset man arrested for killing 33-year-old Yves Roux Jr. in November 2019 — for first-degree murder. The defense’s motion...

Injured rower Hannah Strom races through streets of Marion

MARION — For Hannah Strom, the road to recovery has been long since she suffered life-threatening injuries in a brutal January car accident. But on Sunday, the young Marion woman owned the road as she ran from Tabor Academy to Silvershell Beach with...

Christmas on the Pier

Christmas carols filled the air at the Onset Pier on Sunday afternoon for a socially-distanced drive-thru holiday event hosted by the Onset Bay Association and the Onset Bay Center. Visitors were treated to goodie bags filled with hot cocoa, tiny...

Town Meeting passes articles unanimously, approves new trash plan

About 80 residents gathered under the pavilion at the Onset VFW for the annual Fall Town Meeting on Saturday, where they passed all articles unanimously. The meeting was originally scheduled for Oct. 26, before being delayed to Dec. 28 and, finally...

Town to map entire sewer system

The town’s sewer department is beginning an ambitious project to digitally map the entire sewer infrastructure — every manhole, every pipe, and every pumphouse — plus information about the capacity and current flow throughout the system. Guy...

Commissioners clarify sewer moratorium

Guy Campinha, the head of the town’s sewer department, clarified the moratorium on new sewer connection’s at the commissioner’s Thursday night meeting. Homes and businesses with an existing sewer connection — even one that hasn’t been used in years...

Town’s weekly covid-19 case total surpasses record highs from spring

Wareham has seen a surge of 84 new cases of covid-19 in the past week, according to the state’s weekly public health report. The weekly case count exceeds totals seen back in April and May — the months with Wareham’s two highest weekly totals until...

Illegal substances seized in Village Motel drug raid

Approximately 20 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 90 grams of suspected cocaine, $500 cash and other items “consistent with the illegal narcotics trade” were seized during a drug raid conducted at Village Motel on Cranberry Highway. Richard...

Neighbors oppose proposed affordable housing complex at Littleton Drive

Members of the community spoke out against the proposed 93-unit housing development at Littleton Drive during the first of what will be a lengthy, multiple-part public hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals hearing began late in the evening on Dec. 9...

Drive-thru Christmas on the Pier

The Onset Bay Association is hosting a drive-thru Christmas event on the Onset Pier from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13. Children ages ten and younger will be given a free gift bag. Letters to Santa will be accepted! For more information, to make...

Starlight Motel residents to be allowed to stay in motel for the winter

The residents of the Starlight Motel will be allowed to stay put through the winter, announced Town Counsel Richard Bowen at the Tuesday night Board of Selectmen’s meeting. On Nov. 24, Selectman Patrick Tropeano reported that Dakota Partners, the...

Town’s trash plan, explained

The town has released its official transfer station policy, including the answers to many common questions. However, town trash bags and transfer station stickers are not yet available. The Rte. 28 Transfer Station will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m...

Planning Board votes against passage of zoning change

The members of the Planning Board voted not to recommend the passage of the zoning proposal brought by the Notos Group for the Jan. 16 Special Town Meeting. After nearly six hours of discussion over two meetings, the members voted 3-2 against...

Onset Bay Association reflects on 2019, 2020 and looks to 2021

Although 2020 has looked nothing like the year the members of Onset Bay Association imagined at the outset, the group reflected on the variety of ways they managed to contribute to the community this year with pride during their annual meeting on...

Community Market at the YMCA on Dec. 11

The Gleason Family YMCA at 33 Charge Pond Rd. will be hosting Y Community Markets through the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Full Plate Program each month. The market will be open on Friday, Dec. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until food runs out. The...

Friends gather to honor memory of Teena Hill

About 20 people gathered at the Onset Bandshell on Sunday night to honor the memory of Teena Hill, the homeless woman who was killed on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Hill was a mother of two, and a beloved member of the homeless community. “She was just the...

Wareham gives back during holiday season

Wareham residents donated to toy and food drives hosted by various community organizations all across town on Saturday, Dec. 5, despite the blustering winds and unrelenting rain. Wareham Public Schools bus drivers hosted their annual Stuff-A-Bus toy...

Garden Club Christmas fair ‘brings some color’ to people’s homes for the holidays

The damp weather Saturday wasn’t enough to dampen spirits at the Wareham Garden Club’s annual Christmas fair, which ran from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 5 at St. Patrick’s Church. The persistent rain throughout the day forced members of the club to shift...

Fuel assistance available for qualifying Wareham residents

Wareham’s Council on Aging is offering fuel assistance to anyone in Wareham who qualifies, as the cold winter months approach. The fuel assistance program is designed to help low-income households with winter heating costs. Council on Aging Director...

Wareham once again categorized ‘red’ in state covid-19 report 

The state has once again classified Wareham ‘red’ in its covid-19 weekly public health report, following another increase in new positive cases and an increase in the percentage of covid tests conducted that come back positive. In the last week,...

Town Moderator: ‘Dress warmly’ for outdoor Dec. 12 Town Meeting

“Dress warmly:” That’s Town Moderator Claire Smith’s advice for the upcoming Fall Town Meeting, to be held outside at the Onset V.F.W. on Saturday, Dec. 12, at noon. Due to coronavirus safety concerns, the meeting will be held under the canopy, with...

Town continues to ‘trend higher’ in covid cases

From Nov. 26-28, there were 17 new confirmed cases of covid-19 and three additional probable cases in Wareham, according to Town Administrator Derek Sullivan. At the Tuesday, Dec. 1, Board of Selectmen meeting, Sullivan said the town was “still...

Selectmen back developer’s proposal for Littleton Drive housing complex

A proposed 93-unit housing development at Littleton Drive — which will offer 44 units of affordable housing for seniors age 62+ — received support from the Board of Selectmen at their Dec. 1 meeting. The board voted to issue a letter of support for...

Redevelopment Authority can now seek master developer for Tremont Nail

The Wareham Redevelopment Authority can now request proposals from potential master developers for the Tremont Nail Factory property, following the Board of Selectmen’s unanimous 5-0 decision to authorize issuing a request for proposals. Selectman...

Safety a focus at bus depot following covid closure of garage

Despite a recent covid-19 outbreak among the municipal maintenance mechanics who service the buses, Jamie Andrews, the transportation director for schools, said that the buses were as safe as possible. The entire municipal maintenance mechanics crew...

Hearing on Hospitality, Recreation, and Entertainment district to continue next week

Residents and board members expressed both strong support and skepticism of the proposed zoning district at a meeting that stretched for nearly three hours on Monday night — and is set to pick back up next Monday. The zoning proposal, written by the...

Wareham Police Department Stuff-A-Cruiser event

Members of the Wareham Police Department and Department of Natural Resources will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for families in need at their Stuff-A-Cruiser event on Saturday, Dec. 5. People are invited to drop off donations of toys from 10 a.m...

With food insecurity on the rise, organizations step in to help

The organizations battling food insecurity in Wareham are seeing more need than ever before, as the economic effects of the pandemic continue to take a toll. Wareham’s primary food pantry, the Family Pantry at Damien’s Place, has seen a sharp...

First Spiritualist Church of Onset hosts covid-safe fair

Customers, vendors and spiritualist readers were present at the First Spiritualist Church of Onset’s covid-safe Holistic Psychic Fair on Saturday, Nov. 28. Vendors sold all-natural soaps, orgonite jewelry and other figurines, Christmas decorations...

Ahead of Thanksgiving celebrations, Wareham continued to see increase in covid cases

The most recent state report — which tracked cases through Nov. 25, the day before the Thanksgiving holiday — shows Wareham continued to trend up in covid-19 cases ahead of Thanksgiving celebrations. According to the weekly report , Wareham had an...

Library opens for browsing, computer use by appointment

After months of being closed to the public, the Wareham Free Library’s main location is now open to visitors by appointment for limited browsing and computer use. “People who wanted to come in to look at the items that we have on the shelf can do so...

More than 100 active covid-19 cases in Wareham

The number of active confirmed coronavirus cases in Wareham is now 110, reported Town Administrator Derek Sullivan at the Nov. 24 Board of Selectmen’s meeting. There have been 55 new confirmed and three probable new cases in the last twelve days —...

Town Meeting to take up financial articles only on Dec. 12

The Fall Town Meeting, originally scheduled for Oct. 26, then Dec. 28, has been rescheduled one last time for noon on Dec. 12 at the VFW in Onset. The meeting will take up only articles with financial implications, including the transfer of the...

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