Critical Incident Stress Management grants support 11 police departments BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced that 11 police departments from across Massachusetts have been awarded funds through the first state grant program supporting Critical Incident Stress Management services for emergency responders, including $95,210 for the City of Lawrence. The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) […]
Sheriff Tompkins created paid state job for his niece and had subordinate employees run personal errands for him during their paid public work hours Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins has paid a $12,300 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by creating a paid position in the Sheriff’s Department for his niece and […]
Joe Rizzuti, an active member of the Certified Peer Support Specialist Team serving police officers and first responders in Massachusetts, took the time to sit down with Kane to provide information on the history and development of the rise of peer support networks throughout the Commonwealth. Support comes in many forms, including critical incident support, […]
The following is a summary of findings from the investigation conducted by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, detectives from the Andover Police Department and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. About 3:09 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2023, the Andover Police Department received a 911 call from 48 […]
My Priorities are YOUR Priorities! Before I begin, I want to thank the readers of The Valley Patriot. I met so many of you throughout the campaign in Methuen and Lawrence, and your support for me and this newspaper is very much appreciated. You were all a big part of the reason I am now […]
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 […]
Keeping the Lowell Community Positively Informed and Connected Why is there a Helicopter over Lowell? On the evening of Monday November 27th, a post circulated on the 4.2k member Facebook page Helicopters Over Lowell asking for pet supplies and carriers for the occupants of senior housing being evacuated due to a water main break in […]
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 […]
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 […]
11/24/22 Just days after the Lawrence Police Superior Officers’ Union took a vote of no confidence in Chief Roy Vasque, and Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena suspended three Lawrence officers, DePena is now calling for “certain investigations” into the department. DePena did not specify the nature of the “investigations” or who would be conducting them. In […]
11/22/22 The Lawrence Superior Officers Union took a vote of no confidence in Chief Vasque last night after months of turmoil within the department and only a few days after Mayor DePena has suspended three officers within their ranks. The Union released the following statement just moments ago: On behalf of the members of The […]
11/7/22 BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced on Nov. 4, 2022 in federal court in Boston for his role in a Lawrence-based fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Elvin Mendoza, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 2, 2022, Mendoza […]
10-5-22 BOSTON – A Lawrence woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with fraudulently using someone else’s Social Security number. Mariana Rosmely Aguasviva, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2023. […]
10-5-22 Defendant sold drugs to undercover agent on five separate occasions BOSTON – A Methuen man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for selling a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture to an undercover agent on five occasions. Andi Guerrero-Lara, a/k/a “Manny Sierra,” 25, was sentenced on Sept. 28, 2022 by U.S. District Court […]
