Top stories: President Biden in Somerset, Hell's Angels raided, Swansea mall update and more
It was a busy news week, filled with excitement from high-profile SouthCoast visitors, movement on long-awaited projects and biker gang-related raids.
Overshadowing most else was the brief but memorable visit from President Joe Biden, who stopped into the normally sleepy town of Somerset Wednesday to talk climate change. The visit drew throngs of media and curious locals out to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of a sitting president.
But we also saw our share of sad news, with the drowning of a 9-year-old Somerset boy at a Newport beach, and the loss of well-known city businessman and politician Dan Bogan.
And on the food scene, hungry area residents now have a couple more tasty and unique dining options.
But the most read stories of the week on heraldnews.com were the following:
A presidential day to remember
With the Braga Bridge and the city of Fall River behind him, President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced new actions on climate change that he vowed to take on his own, just days after an influential Democratic senator quashed hopes for a sweeping legislative package of new environmental programs this year.
Biden unveiled the latest efforts during a visit to the former coal-fired Brayton Point power plant in Somerset, which is shifting to offshore wind manufacturing.
The commander-in-chief also sparked speculation about his health during his speech, with people taking to Twitter wondering if it was just a misspeak or if he actually announced he has cancer.
Herald News reporters were on the scene bringing readers the latest updates and details from POTUS' trip. Here's a look at our comprehensive coverage:
Does Joe Biden have cancer?: Here's what we know about his Somerset climate speech
'Act with urgency and resolve': A recap of Biden's visit to Somerset
Photo gallery: A look at President Joe Biden's Somerset visit
'On the frontier of clean energy': Biden praises Somerset's role in growth of renewable energy, touts jobs
'A clear and present danger': At Brayton Point, president announces climate actions
'Oh boy': MA and RI officials react after Biden tests positive for COVID day after visit
Love him or hate him: Locals made most of a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to see Biden
Turning up the heat: Biden talks climate emergency in a politically divided Somerset
Why have presidents visited SouthCoast?: Campaigns, summer homes, funerals and more
Brayton Point: Biden visiting Somerset to highlight power plant's move from 'Filthy Five' to clean future
5 things Biden should do in Somerset: Ice cream galore and a ride on the Big Red Slide
Hell's Angels clubhouse raided
FBI agents — armed with assault rifles and wearing bulletproof vests — and other law enforcement agencies raided two Hell’s Angels properties in Westport on Thursday morning and at least one residence in Fall River on Milton Street.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed the federal agency was “conducting court-authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation.”
The raid came just two months after seven bikers were stabbed in a massive melee involving about 50 bikers in Fall River in the middle of the day. Members of Hell’s Angels had reportedly descended on the headquarters of the Pagans biker gang on Pleasant Street.
FBI sweep: Hell's Angels Westport clubhouse and at least one residence in Fall River raided
Summer break for businesses
Why would, and how can, a small business shut down for a week? What's the thinking in turning off the cash register and locking the doors when there's money to be made?
More than a few small businesses in Greater Fall River chose to do just that for the recently passed July 4 holiday week. For some, it's a tradition; for others, it was the first time.
We talked to the owners/managers of four area businesses who chilled out the first full week of July and asked them all about playing the business vacay game.
Close down for a week of vacation?: For these Fall River area businesses, it just works
Bye bye, Brightman Street Bridge
There appears to be some movement — or, say, "removement" — regarding the old Brightman Street Bridge.
The Fall River Planning Board, at a meeting July 13, discussed a communication from Trans-System Inc., the company working with Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Highways Division on the demolition of Brightman Street Bridge.
Trans-Systems is now getting the permitting to remove the superstructure of the 114-year-old former bridge that linked Fall River to Somerset.
Brightman Street Bridge demolition: Plans underway to start removing the structure — here's what that means
Old mall sees new life
The Swansea Mall closed years ago, but now even the name is gone. Get used to The Shoppes at Swansea.
Big changes have been slow in coming to the site of the former mall, which closed in 2019 after 45 years. But in recent months, progress has been ramping up as owner SM Management transforms the mall into a mixed-use facility composed of retail and residential space, with a fitness center and a packaging production company coming soon, and more on the horizon.
A Kraft Group co., new gym, repaved road: The Shoppes at Swansea is taking shape
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Top stories in Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Tiverton
