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West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Wareham

West Nile virus can only be transmitted by mosquitos. Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

There is West Nile virus in Wareham, according to the town government. The town announced on Aug. 27 that a sample of mosquitoes from Wareham showed positive signs of West Nile virus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has Wareham listed...

Charlotte Peak of Wareham graduates from the University of Rhode Island

Wareham resident Charlotte Peak graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The university in Kingston had more than 4,000 alumni at its commencement ceremonies May 15-17, with approximately 3,800...

Students and staff fill Wareham schools for first day

Second grader Navya Patel's favorite sport is soccer, and she's looking forward to playing games in physical education this year. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The end of August also meant the end of summer for Wareham schools as students and staff filled the halls once again. Aug. 27 was the first day of school for Wareham students first grade and older. Many kids were excited to come back to school,...

Route 6 bridge construction to fully resume

The bridge repair work on Route 6 is set to fully resume following a pause in July. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni

Work on the Route 6 bridge over the Weweantic River is set to fully resume in the upcoming weeks, after construction halted work after crews found diamondback terrapin breeding grounds nearby. The bridge was structurally deficient and is being...

Something to PAWsitively bark about

Some of the winning entries.

Young writers, artists and a pack of “comfort dogs” gathered in the lobby of the Gleason Family YMCA on Aug. 21 to learn who would head home with trophies from the Dog Park Affiliation of Wareham’s annual Unleash the PAWsibilities contest. Open to...

Building Commissioner Paul Turner to retire in late September

The town is in the process of finding a successor for Building Commissioner Paul Turner by the time he retires, Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said. Turner is planning to retire in late September but has not chosen a specific date, Sullivan...

Meet Sarah Hewins, Democratic candidate for 2nd Plymouth District

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Democrat Sarah Hewins is campaigning on her more than 25 years of public service in hopes of flipping the 2nd Plymouth District House seat. Hewins, who is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for state representative, will face the...

Superintendent works with district leaders and coach in creating district’s plan

Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson presented her goals and entry plan to the school committee and its meeting Monday, Aug. 21. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

New Wareham Public Schools Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson has hit the ground running. Hartley-Matteson, in her job since July 1, reported to the Wareham School Committee on Aug. 20 about her plans to work with district leaders through school...

Wareham welcomes students to a new school year

The Staff in Service day welcomed back teachers and staff at Wareham High School. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni

The bell has been rung on another Wareham school year. The first day of school for grades 1-12 was Aug. 27. Preschoolers and kindergartners will return on Sept. 8. Wareham Public Schools Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson said parents and families...

'We want it to look messy': Former Makepeace cranberry bog is being returned to its natural state

A newly dug, curvy part of Red Brook. Photo by Christian Uva

When you look out at Century Bog today, you’ll see a heap of downed pitch pine saplings, sand piles, shrubs and, of course, cranberry plants. What once was a picturesque Wareham cranberry bog is now a green-brown jumble. But to Sara Quintal, a...

Driver taken to hospital after tree falls on car

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A driver was reportedly transported to the hospital after a tree fell on a vehicle Friday morning Aug. 21. The incident happened at about 10:21 a.m. on Routte 28 in the area of 2114 Cranberry Highway. A state Department of Transportation front-end...

‘Their hearts are so beautiful’: community champions 8-year-old’s cancer fundraiser

Although Mia is undergoing chemotherapy, mom Briana Lunetta said she is still a happy-go-lucky, dancing light at the hospital. “We’ve actually been told by the charge nurse that you can sign up for what kids you want to have that day,” Lunetta said, “and there’s usually a battle on who gets to have Mia that day because everyone loves her.” Photo source: Briana Lunetta

There is a house in Wareham that is being built brick by brick—not by developers and contractors, but by the people of this town. Eight-year-old Mia Johnson was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in June, sending her family’s lives “into a...

Wareham JROTC students will go camping on Wickets Island

Col. Matthew Stanton pitches the idea to the Wareham School Committee. Photo by Christian Uva

Wareham High School's Junior ROTC cadets will spend their Sept. 11 developing their teamwork and survival skills during a camping trip on Wickets Island. During the trip, cadets will focus on “hands-on team building, confidence building that I...

Wareham heads to the polls for primary elections

Empty voting booths. File photo

Wareham residents along with voters across Massachusetts are already casting ballots in Sept. 1 primary contests. Votes may be cast by mail, early in-person or on election day. There are primary contests on both the Democratic and Republican sides....

A.D. Makepeace sells $8.3 million property to Newman Properties

10-40 Rosebrook Way. Photo source: Newman Properties

A Brookline-based property management company has purchased the three office and retail buildings at 10-40 Rosebrook Way from A.D. Makepeace for $8.3 million Announced by the acquiring Newman Properties as a “huge commercial acquisition,” the sale...

Property owners, business owners voice concerns over building commissioner Turner to Select Board

Bill Bachant speaks in front of the Wareham Select Board. Photo by Christian Uva

Residents’ grievances with Wareham Building Commissioner Paul Turner dominated the public comment section of the Wareham Select Board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18 A group of over 20 people, composed of Wareham homeowners and people who do business...

Wareham man killed in motorcycle accident on Charge Pond Road

The motorcycle following the accident. Photo by David Curran

A 23-year-old Wareham man died following a motorcycle accident on Charge Pond Road on Monday, Aug. 17, according to Massachusetts State Police. Cristian Hagopian, 23 was brought to a hospital where he was pronounced dead two hours after the...

Republican candidates offer different approaches for 2nd Plymouth District seat

John Gaskey, left, and Mark Townsend, right. File photos

Republican voters will decide on Tuesday, Sept. 1 whether to keep incumbent state Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) on the ballot or give challenger Mark Townsend a shot to go to the State House. Two Republicans, who share similar conservative...

Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Fair Sidewalk Fair, ‘the chillest day ever’

Ender, 12, made a night sky design with his friend Luca, 8. Photo by Christian Uva

Nobody wanted to win a prize at the Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Sidewalk Art and Craft Fair. A judge picked the winner at the end of the fair, but few were particularly concerned with winning. They enjoyed being at the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell on a...

Wareham gets grants to plan removal of Parker Mill dam, evaluate sewer system weaknesses

The spillway of the Parker Mills Pond Dam. File photo

The Town of Wareham received two grants worth $361,000 from the Massachusetts state government to devise a plan to remove the Parker Mills Pond Dam and to study weaknesses in the sewer system. The grants are part of a statewide effort to improve...

State Rep. John Gaskey accused of workplace sexual harassment

John Gaskey. File photo.

A former legislative aide has accused state Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) of making unwanted sexual advances and retaliating against her for rejecting them. Gaskey, who represents the 2nd Plymouth District in the Massachusetts House of...

Onset's 'Ice Cream Kitty' passes after her illness worsened

Moochi cuddling up with a cactus in her family home. Photo source: Naomi Arenberg

The cat went by many names: Yarelis, Yuri, Moochi. But to Wareham, she was known as “Ice Cream Kitty.” The stray tuxedo cat, whose real name was Moochi, ended up in front of Nana’s Ice Cream in Onset, and the shop’s staff, along with the rest of...

Man killed at industrial plant identified

Arsenio Da Cruz Pina. Photo source: GoFundMe

The man killed by a tractor trailer in Wareham last week has been identified as 56-year-old Arsenio Da Cruz Pina. He worked as a custodian at the Chatham Village Foods plant where he was killed. Pina's daughter, Marie, said that investigators have...

Wareham's drought status lowered

Massachusetts' drought status as of Aug. 7. Photo source: Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Wareham is still in a drought, but it’s not as bad as before. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper lowered the town’s drought level from “significant” to “mild” on Friday, Aug. 7. Even though the status has changed, the state...

Wareham and Onset authorities suppress Bourne boat fire that left victim badly burned

A Wareham Department of Natural Resources vessel douses the burning boat with a water cannon on Saturday, Aug. 8. Photo source: Wareham Department of Natural Resources

BOURNE – David Arnold was off duty on Saturday, Aug. 8 until he saw a boat consumed by fire. Arnold, a seasonal deputy harbormaster for the Wareham Department of Natural Resources, said his mother-in-law noticed a flash in the harbor. He saw...

Last call for paw-some art, literary work

2022 literary winner Gia Goodwin with Stella Sicina at the Wareham Post Office.

The deadline to submit work for the Unleash the PAWsibilities Area Youth Creative Contest is just around the corner on Monday, Aug. 10. According to organizer Sally Morrison, late entries will not be accepted. The contest, which is hosted by the Dog...

Family, food and soccer celebrated at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival

The Nascimento family reunion. From left to right: Nicaeyla Pires, Desmond Nascimento, Melissa Nascimento, René Nascimento, Jayden Nascimento, Tanya Pires. Photo by Christian Uva

Melissa Nascimento hugged a new person every minute. She and her family gather with relatives and friends every August at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival. She used to host family reunions at her house in Onset.Now, they meet under the same tree a...

Swifts Beach residents question Eversource after osprey nest removal

An osprey nest at Oceanside Drive in Swifts Beach. Photo by Nick Mossman

A group of Swifts Beach residents are calling out Eversource after the company removed an osprey nest from a utility pole in late July, saying the birds returned without a home. Multiple osprey nests sitting atop utility poles in the neighborhood...

Safe Harbor pulls application for Onset marina expansion

The Safe Harbor Marina at Onset Bay. Photo by Nick Mossman

Safe Harbor Marina has withdrawn an application to expand its footprint in Onset Bay after months of resident opposition to the project. In July, a representative for Safe Harbor submitted a letter to the Wareham Conservation Commission notifying...

Hazardous Waste Collection Day draws long line

Cars lined up for nearly a half-mile past the Municipal Maintenance Department on Saturday, Aug. 1. Photo by Nick Mossman

Traffic backed up more than half-mile along Charge Pond Road on Saturday, Aug. 1 as residents lined up to dispose of various "hazardous" materials. The annual collection day often draws long lines. In 2023, residents waited in their cars for nearly...

Summer of Love-rs love new Onset bandshell

Fans dance in front of the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell during Violin River's performance. Photo by Christian Uva

On the night of the Dead, the bandshell was alive. The “Summer of Love” concert series returned to Onset’s Lillian Gregerman Bandshell on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Fans packed the recently renovated venue to hear Rhode Island’s Violin River cover Grateful...

UPDATE: One dead after accident at industrial plant

Two police vehicles respond to 15 Kendrick Road on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Nick Mossman

A 56 year-old man died after an accident in the loading dock area of Chatham Village Foods on Kendrick Road this morning, according to the Wareham Police Department. According to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, the man, who the...

Onset Bandshell to reopen after frustrations over construction timeline

Barriers at the Onset Bandshell at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, which are expected to be taken town later in the day. Photo by Nick Mossman

Construction on Onset's Lillian Gregerman Bandshell is expected to wrap up Wednesday, Aug. 5, after the project pushed past several publicly stated completion estimates and drew frustration from residents. At 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5,...

Beer will pour at Lazy Lobster road race

Racers cross the finish line during the 2017 Lazy Lobster road race. File photo

A lobster-themed road race may be making a buzz in Wareham next month. The annual Lazy Lobster 5 Miler & Festival will be able to serve beer to racers after they cross the finish line on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Wareham Select Board unanimously...

Residents ask Select Board to unblock oceanfront views in Onset

Bay View Park in Onset. Photo by Brandy Muz

Residents urged the Select Board to fix allegedly obstructed ocean views from public spaces in Onset during the board's meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Susan Noonan added to concerns she raised at the previous Select Board meeting that parts of Bay...

Select Board sets Fall Town Meeting date

Select Board Chair Sarah Corbitt, left, and the board's clerk, Judith Whiteside. Photo by Nick Mossman

The Wareham Select Board has confirmed the date for for Wareham's annual Fall Town Meeting, which will be held at Wareham High School at 7 Viking Drive on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The board formally set the date during its meeting on Tuesday, Aug....

Finding Wareham's flora and fauna

BioBlitz participants took part in a soil classification on Saturday, Aug. 1. Photo source: Tom Goetz

Over 50 people arrived at the River Walk Conservation Area off of Cromesett Road to identify several of plants and animals in the Wareham wilderness during the Wareham Land Trust's BioBlitz on Saturday, Aug. 1. A BioBlitz is a community science...

Wareham college students get Dean's List recognition

Four Wareham residents were named to the Emmanuel College Dean's List for the Spring 2026 semester, achieving a Grade Point Average of 3.5 or higher during the semester. Marina Naoum-Salib, Alexis Pettersen, Kate Iacobucci and Muskan Patel all...

A Wareham resident, a mentor and a runner

Taylor Bulis and her "Little Sister," Brielle. Source: Taylor Bulis

Wareham resident and "Big Sister" Taylor Bulis will run the Falmouth Road Race to raise money for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands youth mentoring organization on Sunday, Aug. 16. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the...

A day of fun, family and remembrance

From left: Katrina Edwards, Kayla Vasconcelos and Leslyn Hayes are pictured at the 2023 funday.

The Ashley Faye Foundation is hosting an evening full of fun, memories of loved ones, kickball and a movie for its annual Family Fun Day on Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Onset VFW from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The foundation hosts the day in honor of Ashley Faye,...

Second test run of Onset Porchfest a 'success'

A band performs from a porch for the second trial run of Porchfest in Onset on Sunday, Aug. 2. Source: Todd Holden

An iteration of the popular Porchfest music festival could be coming to Onset after organizers held a "successful" second trial run on Sunday, Aug. 2. Porchfests are held across Massachusetts and the country with residents hosting bands to set up...

One hospitalized after car slams into shed behind 7-Eleven

The front of a utility shed behind the 7-Eleven was caved in after a car slammed into it early morning on Monday, Aug. 3. Photos by Nick Mossman

A car was found rolled over after smashing into a utility shed behind the 7-Eleven on Cranberry Highway, sending one person to the hospital around 4:40 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, according to the Onset Fire Department. The vehicle caused "some...

10 miles to go: Cyclists make Pan-Mass pit stop in Wareham

Riders pedaled through Wareham on Saturday, Aug. 1 for the Pan-Mass Challenge. Photos by Nick Mossman

The sounds of cheers and cowbells rang out at the Decas School as thousands of cyclists pedaled down Main Street for the Pan-Mass Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 1. Riders trekked along an 84 or 100-mile route starting from either Wellesley or...

Onset Cape Verdean Festival will return to renovated bandshell

From left: Clyde Wilkins, Garnell Barrows, Gina Wilkins, Karen Lugo and Corrine Brown-Walker at the 2025 Onset Cape Verdean Festival. Photo by Bobby Grady

Around 15,000 visitors will come to Onset on Saturday, Aug 8., from across the country, even as far as California and Washington, to celebrate Cape Verdean culture and history through food, music and art at the Onset Cape Verdean Festival on...

Wareham Democrats are reorganizing town committee

The Wareham Democratic Town Committee is reorganizing and all registered Democrats in town are invited to participate at the Wareham Multi Service Center, Room 427 at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11. According to organizer Jane Donahue, the group will...

Become a nature detective at the Land Trust’s first BioBlitz

River Walk Conservation Area on Cromesset Road. Photo by Wareham Land Trust.

Join the Wareham Land Trust for its first BioBlitz this weekend at the River Walk Conservation Area. The River Walk Conservation Area, located at 191 Cromesett Road is a 19.37-acre property managed by the Wareham Land Trust that protects local water...

Wareham gets more state aid, but even bigger bills

Higher state charges offset Wareham's increase in aid this year.

The 2027 state budget provides Wareham with $500,000 more state aid than in 2026. The less happy news: State charges – largely due to students who attend public schools in other towns through “school choice” – will increase by nearly $900,000. That...

The Bard is back: Shakespeare in the park returns to Onset

Photos by Nick Mossman

On the breezy shores of Onset, stories from the world’s most famous playwright are arriving this summer. Shakespeare is taking center stage in Onset as Shakespeare Under the Stars returns to town this summer. A cast of characters took the stage at...

Selectman Jared Chadwick faces refiled endangerment charges in Taunton court

Selectman Jared Chadwick stands in a courtroom on Thursday, July 9, before separate charges from earlier this year were dismissed. Photo by Nick Mossman

Wareham Selectman Jared Chadwick is facing two refiled charges in Taunton District Court — one of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14 and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment of a child. The charges were...

Robotic arm assisted surgery comes to Tobey Hospital

Dr. Christian Dee, left, and Dr. John Carroll show off the new robotic tech at Tobey Hospital.

Orthopedic doctors at Tobey Hospital have a new team member coming on board. However, this team member isn't a human doctor. It's a robot — which may soon be in the operating room. According to Southcoast Health, a new Mako robotic arm is making...