1-26-23 FULL REPORT The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has issued a scathing report on the hiring of former Methun City Councilor Sean Fountain as a permanent intermittent police officer without the proper certification. Fountain, while chairman of the Methuen City Council, was hired as an interim police officer due to a special piece of legislation […]
1-25-23 Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque was put on leave today by Mayor Brian DePena and placed Capt. McCarthy in charge of the department while an administrative investigation continues into the way the department is run. Sources tell the Valley Patriot that the Chief was not initially put on leave, but that he had intimidated […]
By: Tom Duggan – 1/23 Last month, there was a scheduled vote before the Lawrence City Council (December 6th) that would have replaced the name of the park at South Lawrence’s Five Corners from “Stockton Park” to “Twomey Park (where the fountain was located on South Union St.).” The proposal was sponsored by Councilor […]
By: State Rep. Adrianne Ramos – 01-23 On January 4th, I took the oath of office to serve as your state representative of the new 14th Essex District. As I embark on this endeavor, I wanted to take a moment to re-introduce myself and to let you know what this means to me. I plan […]
PDF of the January 2023 Valley Patriot
MIDDLETON, Mass — Two inmates at the Middleton Jail and House of Correction have been indicted on serious charges for their role in an Oct. 22 altercation that injured two correctional officers. (Story here) The indictments were handed down last week by an Essex County Superior Court grand jury. The two men are: Jorge Delgado-Medina, […]
Methuen Family Dentistry announced this week that it has partnered with Overjet to add artificial intelligence to its suite of technology designed to elevate patient care. Overjet’s AI analyzes and annotates X-rays in real time, outlining decay in color and quantifying bone loss to make it easy for both the clinical team and patients […]
BOSTON – A Methuen man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for armed bank robbery. Caio Costa, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 90 months in prison and five years of supervised release. On July 26, 2022, Costa pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery […]
PDF of the December, 2022 Valley Patriot print edition
12/4/22 There is a scheduled vote before the Lawrence City Council on December 6th that will replace the name of the park at South Lawrence’s 5 Corners (where the fountain was located) from “Stockton Park” to “Twomey Park.” Roger Twomey was a former Lawrence City Councilor and was a veteran. He has since passed away. […]
AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE ESSEX COUNTY CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS UNION I am contacting you on behalf of the Essex County Correctional Officers Association (ECCOA), the union that represents correctional officers and sergeants employed by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, including at the Middleton Jail. As you know, on Saturday, October 22, 2022, correctional officers in […]
Defendant previously convicted in 2021 of drug and weapons charges BOSTON – A Dominican man has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jonathan Alcequiez-Sanchez, 35, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Alcequiez-Sanchez is currently in the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement […]
By: Brian Genest – 11/22 Here’s something to put you in the holiday spirit: Shop in Dracut for Christmas this year and you could win a $500 gift card to the town business of your choice. To promote in-town shopping and support local businesses, “Make It Dracut for the Holidays” was put together by the […]
ANDOVER – Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to share that Greater Lawrence Technical School students will see their work launched into space aboard the International Space Station. The students are part of HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware), an instructional partnership between NASA and local school districts. Students are tasked with […]
11/22 Included in an economic development bill recently passed by the Massachusetts Legislature were several amendments to support projects across the Merrimack Valley. Among the investments secured is funding to support a Methuen Youth and Community Center, with resources for facilities, staffing and programming. State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) has made the establishment of a […]