Longtime owners of Home Plate retiring; Union Straw opens in Taunton: Top stories

Kristina Fontes, The Taunton Daily Gazette
·3 min read

Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.

Top stories this past week included:

A look at some local athletes who have made the Taunton Daily Gazette's All-Scholastics. This past week, we announced the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Golf All-Scholastics. Here's a look back at the Greater Taunton area golfers who stood out among the crowd.

The latest Greater Taunton real estate report, featuring a Taunton colonial that sold for $652,000. The home on Lake Ridge Drive abuts Lake Sabbatia, and it offers a modern kitchen, a front-to-back living and dining room, and a main bedroom with an ensuite. Check out this property, as well as other recent top-sellers.

These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:

'Going out on top': Longtime owners of Taunton's Home Plate retiring

Rob Anderson and his wife Natalie are saying goodbye to Home Plate Bay Street Grill after 16 years of owning and managing the restaurant.

Husband and wife duo Natalie and Rob Anderson, seen here on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, owners of Home Plate Bay Street Grill in Taunton, have sold the restaurant and will be retiring together.
Husband and wife duo Natalie and Rob Anderson, seen here on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, owners of Home Plate Bay Street Grill in Taunton, have sold the restaurant and will be retiring together.

The Andersons are retiring, and they've sold the popular sports bar to entrepreneur Rick Lowe, who owns several other businesses and eateries under the moniker of Paisano Hospitality Group.

Here are the transition plans so far.

'Going out on top': Longtime owners of Taunton's Home Plate retiring. Who's taking over?

Union Straw restaurant opens in downtown Taunton

There's a new restaurant in downtown Taunton!

Union Straw had its official grand opening on Jan. 3, opening up at 16 Trescott St., in the spot of the former Liberty & Union Alehouse.

This is the second Union Straw location; the other one is Foxboro.

Director of Operations at Union Straw restaurant in Taunton Craig Carreira holds up a plate of the restaurant's sirloin with shrimp, consisting of a 12-ounce grilled sirloin, pee wee potatoes, slow roasted in duck fat, asparagus, herbed garlic butter and a balsamic reduction, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.
Director of Operations at Union Straw restaurant in Taunton Craig Carreira holds up a plate of the restaurant's sirloin with shrimp, consisting of a 12-ounce grilled sirloin, pee wee potatoes, slow roasted in duck fat, asparagus, herbed garlic butter and a balsamic reduction, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

Take a look inside the Taunton location, and see what's on the menu.

Upscale, traditional and with a twist: Union Straw restaurant opens in downtown Taunton

Briggs Street bridge in Dighton closed to pedestrians. Future plans unknown.

Dighton officials claim a pedestrian bridge on Briggs Street over the Segreganset River has structural weaknesses that might cause it to collapse, and people are now prohibited from crossing it until the span is replaced.

Town Administrator Michael Mullen said the board of selectmen ordered the bridge closed to pedestrian traffic on Dec. 27 after a recent analysis by engineering firm BETA Inc. revealed the overpass has cracks in its clapper stone and a large number of openings in the bridge’s stone piers.

Officials are reviewing options for the bridge's future.

Bridge closed: Briggs Street bridge in Dighton closed to pedestrians. Future plans unknown. Here's why.

Standing room only as Raynham honors SRO Lou Pacheco as life-changing mentor

Raynham Police Det. Louis Pacheco has received a special recognition award from the town for his years of service both with the department and with the youth in the community.

The Jan. 23 Selectmen's meeting was overflowing with town officials, peers, students and family of Pacheco — so much so that many had to stand outside the meeting room as they were at capacity inside.

Raynham Police Det. Louis F. Pacheco, right, is congratulated by Traci Arruda at Town Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Selectmen presented the Raynham Recognition Award to Pacheco, who is the Raynham school resource officer and B-R head football coach.
Raynham Police Det. Louis F. Pacheco, right, is congratulated by Traci Arruda at Town Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Selectmen presented the Raynham Recognition Award to Pacheco, who is the Raynham school resource officer and B-R head football coach.

Pacheco, a 36-year veteran of the Raynham Police Department, told the crowd, when it comes to his police work, he’s always preferred being behind-the-scenes and out of the limelight.

'Always kind and compassionate': Standing room only as Raynham honors SRO Lou Pacheco as life-changing mentor

Owner of Good Sam, Morton and St. Anne's hospitals can't make rent payments

Steward Health Care — which runs hospitals in Brockton, Taunton and Fall River, as well as others statewide and around the country — is $50 million behind on rent, according to its landlord.

Here's what we know, as of this writing.

Financial instability: Owner of Good Sam, Morton and St. Anne's hospitals can't make rent payments. What we know

Herald News/Taunton Daily Gazette 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: Taunton Gazette Top 5: Owners of Home Plate retiring; Union Straw open