Dead whale found in Westport; Herald News case goes to court: Top stories

Kristina Fontes, The Herald News
·4 min read
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As we kick off a new week, let's take a look back at the week that was.

Top stories this past week included:

Our picks for The Herald News' 2023 All-Scholastics Softball Teams. It was a season to remember for Greater Fall River softball teams, especially for Case and Somerset Berkley. Here's a look at The Herald News' First and Second Softball All-Star Teams from the 2023 spring season.

The Greater Fall River real estate report, featuring a renovated raised ranch in Swansea that sold for $540,000. The home on Sharps Lot Road has a modern farmhouse vibe and features three bedrooms, a stunning brand-new kitchen, and two renovated modern bathrooms. Check out this property, as well as other recent top-sellers.

These were the most read stories of the week on HeraldNews.com:

A humpback whale was found near Westport's beaches. Scientists want to know how it died.

A crew of researchers conducted a necropsy of a young whale at Westport's Town Beach this past week.

The dead humpback whale was spotted in the water near Gooseberry Island, and washed ashore at one of the private properties along East Beach Road.

A young humpback whale found dead off the coast was dragged onto Westport Town beach for a necropsy on Tuesday.
A young humpback whale found dead off the coast was dragged onto Westport Town beach for a necropsy on Tuesday.

Its body was pulled by tugboat to Town Beach, where biologists and researchers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare attempted to determine how it died.

Dead whale in Westport: A humpback whale was found near Westport's beaches. Scientists want to know how it died.

Why did Fall River's DCM chief lose his job? The Herald News will go to court to find out.

The Herald News and its parent company, Gannett, will be heading to Superior Court next month in the media outlet's public records lawsuit against the city of Fall River.

For more than a year, The Herald News has attempted to obtain an investigative report and a separation agreement between the city and former Department of Community Maintenance director John Perry that was reached last June after a two-month investigation into possible wrongdoing.

A hearing is set in Superior Court in New Bedford on Aug. 17.

Herald News goes to court: Why did Fall River's DCM chief lose his job? The Herald News will go to court to find out.

FBI arrests Swansea man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots

The Swansea man who admittedly took part in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building was arrested by the FBI in Fall River at his place of business on Pleasant Street on Thursday and arraigned on a federal felony offense of civil disorder and a host of misdemeanor charges.

Michael St. Pierre, 46 was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston before Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell.

Mike St. Pierre appears in a still frame of a video he recorded himself and live-streamed to Facebook in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, where he said he was going to march to the Capitol and break in. St. Pierre was later recorded on video hurling an object into the building.
Mike St. Pierre appears in a still frame of a video he recorded himself and live-streamed to Facebook in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, where he said he was going to march to the Capitol and break in. St. Pierre was later recorded on video hurling an object into the building.

While St. Pierre was arraigned in a Boston federal court, his case will be tried by the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the District of Columbia, which issued an arrest warrant on July 20.

Local man charged in Jan. 6 riots: FBI arrests Swansea man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Here's what he's charged with

Fall River police officer asks court to toss child porn case

A Fall River police officer facing one count of possessing child pornography, a partially nude photo his 17-year-old girlfriend sent him, is seeking to dismiss the criminal case against him.

Defense attorney Rene Brown indicated to the judge that Michael Morin, 38, was in the courthouse, but he did not appear in the courtroom during a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.

Brown asked Fall River Judge Cynthia M. Brackett to schedule a motion to dismiss hearing, which she scheduled for Aug. 24.

Herald News Reporter Jo C. Goode has the story.

'Nudity is not pornography': Fall River police officer asks court to toss child porn case

Fall River real estate boom: Over 2,000 market-rate apartments are in the pipeline

A look at new and pending construction projects in Fall River shows a boom in market-rate housing construction, with thousands of new units in the pipeline.

One reason Fall River has become a prime target for the redevelopment of former mill buildings and new market-rate housing construction, according to Ken Fiola, executive vice president of the Bristol County Economic Development Consultants, is location.

See what's in the works, right here.

Fall River real estate boom: Over 2,000 market-rate apartments are in the pipeline

Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Herald News Top 5: Humpback whale washes up in Westport