Police, Fire & Courts

Firefighters investigate smoke at Dunkin’ Donuts

Wareham Fire responded to reports of a possible fire at Dunkin’ Donuts in West Wareham Saturday, Jan. 15, fire officials reported on the department’s Facebook page. When firefighters arrived, they investigated smoke in the building. After an...

Hovan hearing will remain closed, justice rules

The hearing for Southcoast President and CEO Keith Hovan on a potential felony charge of possessing illegal firearm magazines will remain closed to the public, a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justice has ruled. As a result of this ruling,...

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Wareham Fire rescues man from 20-foot pit at Water Pollution Control Facility

A man was rescued from the bottom of a more-than-20-foot deep construction pit at the Water Pollution Control Facility by Wareham Fire early on Tuesday, January 11. At about 7:20 a.m., Wareham Fire was notified that a man had fallen and was at the...

Assistance dog on the way for Wareham’s school resource officer

The Wareham Police will soon have a new canine member — although rather than sniffing out illicit substances, the dog will be helping School Resource Officer Karl Baptiste in his daily work connecting with students. Baptiste has served as the town’s...

Wareham Fire District’s warrant, explained

Wareham Fire District residents are being asked to approve several financial articles at a Special Meeting on Jan. 13. Among them is a $32,000 labor settlement. Prudential Committee Chair George Barrett said that the settlement is related to the...

87-year-old wrong-way driver causes crash on Rte. 25 on Dec. 30

An 87-year-old New Bedford man was driving the wrong way on Rte. 25 on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 30, leading to a crash with another car on the highway at about 7:08 a.m. Both drivers needed to be extricated from their vehicles by Wareham Fire...

Wareham Police donate to Council on Aging after ‘Double Down December’

After raising $3,600 for Community Youth Empowerment during the annual “No Shave November” event, the Wareham Police Department gave its officers the chance to continue the event into December, as part of “Double Down December.” In November, a total...

Firefighters extinguish Amazon delivery van fire

An Amazon delivery van caught on fire at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16, on Timber Lane. Wareham Fire Department responded and, led by Capt. Mickey Bird with help from the crews from Engines 1 and 5, quickly extinguished the fire. A second...

Former accountant charged in connection with scheme to hide Wareham company’s taxable sales from state

A Wareham asphalt company’s former accountant, Christopher Polito, 37, of Dedham, was arraigned on Nov. 22 on multiple charges “in connection with a scheme to hide the company’s taxable sales by falsifying financial records with the state’s...

Foul play seems unlikely in Village Motel death

Foul play does not appear to have played a role in the death of a 31-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a room at the Village Hotel early on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The man was found by a person who was performing a well-being check around 8 a.m...

Man accused of arson to be held without bail until trial

Michael Muise, the man accused of attempting to set a home on Onset Ave. on fire on Oct. 25 , will be held without bail before his trial. Judge Shelby Smith granted the prosecutor’s motion for Muise to be held without bail at a Nov. 4 dangerousness...

New Onset Fire Station on display at Halloween open house

At the end of September , the Onset Fire Department moved its headquarters to its new location, and on Halloween, the department opened its doors to trick-or-treaters and offered tours to those interested in seeing the new station. The new station,...

Driver collides with gas pump in West Wareham

Gas stations were busy in the wake of the storm, and one unlucky driver collided with a pump at the West Wareham Cumberland Farms. At about 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, a driver backed up into a gas pump, shearing it from the foundation. Wareham...

One arrested for arson after fire causes ‘moderate’ damage to Onset home

One person has been arrested for arson, breaking and entering and four counts of attempted murder after he allegedly set fire to a home located at 29 Onset Ave. on Monday evening. The Oct. 25 fire caused moderate damage to the home and no civilian...

Mysterious smell in Onset deemed ‘no danger to public health’

At nearly 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, the Onset Fire Department responded to a call that alerted them to an “unrecognizable odor” at 15 Sand Pond Rd., Well #7. The well, which is part of the Onset Water District’s distribution system, is near a site...

Gas leak resolved Thursday morning

A gas main near Atlantic Boats was struck during excavation work and began to actively leak on the morning of Oct. 21. The Wareham Fire Department responded at about 8:20 a.m. Crews acted quickly to evacuate nearby buildings, secure power to the...

Man accused of 2019 killing found not guilty

After nine hours of deliberation that stretched across three days, a jury at the Plymouth County Superior Court found David Robbins not guilty on all charges related to the 2019 stabbing of a man on Main Street. Robbins had been charged with murder...

Citation issued after officer clipped by side mirror

A Rochester man was given a citation after clipping a Wareham police officer with his side-view mirror at sunset on Thursday, Sept. 30. Police Chief Walter Correia said the officer, who was on foot directing traffic when struck, was not seriously...

Onset Fire moves headquarters to new station

After months of preparations, the Onset Fire Department has officially moved into its new fire station, located at 8 Sand Pond Rd. behind the old Salvation Army. The department put out a statement on Sept. 29, saying it had moved operations to the...

Town fire departments hold 9/11 memorial ceremonies

The Onset Fire District and Wareham Fire Department held small memorial ceremonies on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremonies honored the first responders and civilians — one of whom...

Onset Fire Department receives federal grant

The Onset Fire Department received $166,338 in federal funding to help maintain the department’s staffing levels. The funds are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s SAFER Program (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants...

Gas leak on Cranberry Highway leads to road closure

Just after noon on Tuesday, a gas leak was reported in the area of Harbor Freight on Cranberry Highway. That store was evacuated, along with O’Reilly’s and the businesses near the Sherwood Williams store. It seems that a gas line was hit during the...

13-year-old dead, man injured in dirt bike crash

A 13-year-old girl from Carver was killed and another man was injured in a dirt bike crash at the Wareham motocross track on Monday, Sept. 6, according to a press release from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. The Onset Fire Department...

Crashes along Route 25 send five to the hospital

Consecutive crashes on Route 25 sent five individuals to the hospital on Monday, Aug. 23, including a truck driver — whose extrication from the cab took firefighters nearly an hour after first responders were alerted to a “tractor-trailer on its...

Jeffrey Osswald sworn in as Onset Fire Chief

Jeffrey Osswald, a decades-long veteran of the Onset Fire Department, is the department’s new chief. He was sworn in by Onset Fire District Clerk/Treasurer Mary McCoy on Friday, Aug. 13. Osswald was formally named Onset fire chief during an Aug. 12...

New Onset Fire Station ‘substantially complete,’ cleared for occupancy

The new Onset Fire Station, located at 8 Sand Pond Rd. behind the old Salvation Army, is “substantially complete,” and cleared for occupancy. During an Aug. 12 Prudential Committee meeting, Fire Chief Jeffrey Osswald explained that work to set up...

Wareham man dies in one-car accident in Falmouth

A Wareham man died in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Falmouth. According to Falmouth Police, Austin T. Roberts, 22, was driving north on Central Ave. in East Falmouth when he failed to stop at a stop sign, crossed East Falmouth...

Chief Correia focuses on safety, community outreach

Walter Correia joined the Wareham Police Department in the summer of 1994 — totally new to the profession. This spring — more than 25 years later — Correia was named Chief of Police for the department to which he’s dedicated his career. “In a lot of...

Fire destroys West Wareham home, displaces family

A fire at 33 Long Boat Road in West Wareham displaced three adults and one cat early in the morning of Monday, July 26. Another cat perished in the fire. The Wareham Fire Department received several calls about the home at 2:17 a.m. An engine, along...

Bike and drone pair could help first responders with search and rescue

Wareham’s first responders might soon have technology that would make certain rescue operations easier, courtesy of 1854 Cycling’s bicycle with a link to a drone video feed. The product is still being developed, but Brandale Randolph — the founder...