Taunton, Massachusetts News & Information - Taunton, MA - Bristol County

Taunton Woman Charged in Deadly Crash
Cops: Suspect drove drunk, fled scene of accident

Taunton Man Charged in Connection with Fall River Murder

Mechanics Cooperative Bank 2009 Scholarship Recipients

July 27, 2009 - Taunton, MA - Mechanics Cooperative Bank recently announced that Ashleigh Chaves and Kyle Kerkoff were the institution's 2009 scholarship recipients. The Mechanics Cooperative Bank scholarships were created to support local students who excelled in both academics and community service, toward their pursuit for higher education.

Ashleigh Chaves recently graduated from Coyle & Cassidy High School with National Honors Society distinction. She also received the prestigious Coyle & Cassidy Exemplary Citizen Award for her outstanding contributions to both her school and the Taunton Community. Ashleigh will attend Bridgewater State College in the fall to study Elementary and Special Needs Education with a minor in Psychology.

Kyle Kerkoff recently graduated from Taunton High School ranked 4^th in his class with a 4.9 GPA. Kyle was also heavily involved in extracurricular activities including football, basketball, and baseball. Kyle also has an impressive history of supporting community organizations related to Taunton High School and CYO Programs in the Taunton area. Kyle will attend Boston College this fall majoring in Business Management and Leadership.

Morton Hospital Receives Grant from Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
Donation to help purchase equipment for Women’s Diagnostic Imaging Center

July 27, 2009 - Taunton, MA – Morton Hospital and Medical Center recently received a grant from the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation in the amount of $7,500. The donation will support the purchase of new equipment for the Hospital’s Women’s Diagnostic Imaging Center.

E. Dennis Kelly, left, Bristol County Savings Bank President, presents a donation to Thomas Porter, Morton Hospital CEO

Bristol County Savings Bank has been a long-standing and generous philanthropic partner of Morton Hospital and Medical Center. In December of 2008, the Foundation funded the purchase of a code card and an oxygen blender for the Hospital’s First Impressions Maternity Center. These pieces of equipment have been a vital resource for the Maternity Center, providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency care to infants in respiratory distress.

"Bristol County Savings Bank is happy to support Morton Hospital," said E. Dennis Kelly, Bristol County Savings Bank President. "We recognize and appreciate the services they provide to the community and are happy to assist in upgrading their equipment. The Bank has had a long and supportive relationship with the Hospital for many years, and we look forward to working with them for many more."

Mansfield Father Charged with Murder of 6-Year-Old Daughter

Her father, Kristopher Griffin, 35, of 93 Chilson Ave. and 85 Weir St., Mansfield, was arrested by state and local police shortly after the incident. He is charged with murder.

Mr. Grffin will be arraigned today in Taunton District Court.

Facts of the case will be detailed during today's arraignment.

Visit MansfieldWeb.com for updates to this story. 

Modern Auto Body, Brockton - 
Owned & Operated by Area Resident

July 24, 2009 - Modern Auto Body in Brockton is owned and operated by Fran Fistori of Norton. Mr. Fistori lives in Norton with his wife and three children. He is active in the community and helps to coach Little League and football in the town.

Modern Auto Body
561 N. Montello Street
Brockton, MA 02301
508-580-6422
www.modernautobodycollision.com

Mr. Fistori began his business in 1983 in a small rented garage. After two years he purchased the property at 561 N. Montello Street and began construction on the current facility. Modern Auto Body employees 15 full-time employees and is now in the midst of another expansion. All employees are ASE Certified and I-CAR trained. The shop utilizes the latest equipment. Modern Auto body takes all the worries away from your auto accident down to the smallest details like making sure the paint color is a 100% match.

Fran and his staff will help walk you through your claims process from beginning to end. The shop will come and pick your vehicle up if necessary and will return your vehicle detailed inside and out.

Taunton Woman Asks City for $200K Due to Son's 'Psychological Injuries'

FACES OF REMEMBRANCE: Taunton Exhibit Honors Fallen Soldiers

First EEE Positive Mosquito Sample Identified in Massachusetts
Health officials remind residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites

July 22, 2009 - Boston, MA — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that Eastern Equine Encephalitis has been detected in a mosquito sample in Massachusetts for the first time this year. The mosquito sample was collected on July 16, in the town of Freetown, located in Bristol County.

There have been no human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) identified so far this year.

In 2008, there was one human case of EEE; however there were 13 cases with 6 deaths from 2004 through 2006. EEE is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE is a serious disease for all ages and can even cause death.

"This is the first reminder that EEE is circulating in our environment" said DPH State Epidemiologist, Dr. Al DeMaria "Southeastern Massachusetts has historically borne the brunt of EEE."

People have an important role to play in protecting themselves and their loved ones from illnesses caused by mosquitoes.

Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning.

• Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

• Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

• Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

• Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

More information is available on the DPH website: www.mass.gov/dph/wnv. Information about West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis is also available by calling the DPH recorded information line at 1-866-MASS-WNV (1-866-627-7968), or the Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.

Morton Hospital Performance Improvement Director Completes Patient Safety Fellowship, Receives Prestigious Award

July 22, 2009 - Taunton, MA – Orla Brandos, RN, MBA, MSN, CPHQ, PSF, Director of Performance Improvement/Risk Management and Patient Safety Officer at Morton Hospital and Medical Center, recently completed an Executive Fellowship in Patient Safety at the Williamson Institute for Healthcare Leadership at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Upon graduating from the program, Brandos was awarded the prestigious Carl W. Armstrong Award, given to one fellow from each graduating class, selected by the teaching faculty and fellow students.

Orla Brandos, Director of Performance Improvement/Risk Management and Patient Safety Officer at Morton Hospital and Medical Center

During the 11-month program, which was sponsored by Morton Hospital, Brandos completed an extensive curriculum including courses on Medication Safety & Methods, Advanced Issues in Error Reporting Systems, Leadership and its Impact on Patient Safety, and Use of Technology for Patient Safety Success.

"I am a patient advocate and I strive to promote excellence in providing safe, quality care for all of our patients at Morton Hospital," said Brandos. "The healthcare environment is constantly changing, and this program provided me the opportunity to learn about the most current and innovative resources and best practices to improve patient safety."

Each fellow in the program was required to design and implement a patient safety project. Brandos’s project, "Improving Handoff Communication in the Acute Care Hospital", gave a detailed approach to the evidence-based SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) communication tool used among caregivers, including those at Morton Hospital. Her project was voted most likely to promote significant advancements in patient safety, which prompted Brandos’s award nomination. As a result of the project’s success, Brandos was also selected as a guest speaker at the Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety (VIPC&S) annual conference.

Prior to her current position at Morton Hospital, Brandos served as Director of a medical surgical unit at Cape Coral Hospital in Florida. Previous to that, she worked at Morton Hospital as a staff nurse in a variety of clinical settings. She has more than 18 years of hospital nursing and leadership experience, and is responsible for all quality and safety initiatives at Morton Hospital.

"The patient safety fellowship provided advanced education related to standards of excellence in safe patient care across the continuum of care for all patients" said Brandos. "The resources I gained during my fellowship are some that you can’t find anywhere else."

Special Olympians Compete in Taunton

July 21, 2009 - Taunton, MA – They came from as far away as Shrewsbury and Dorchester to compete for the gold, silver and bronze. In all, 36 bocce athletes competed in the First Annual Special Olympics Massachusetts South Section Bocce Tournament at the Columbia Cultural Center on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

"We are so pleased to be involved with this very special event," said Dick Simmons, President, Columbia Lodge #540, Order Sons of Italy in America. "This (Special Olympics Massachusetts) is a very special organization and we’re proud to be involved with them."

"In addition to Columbia Lodge #540, DeAvila’s Catering and Henriques Landscaping stepped up to plan and make certain we had a great first-time event for our Special Olympians," said Jay O’Brien, Special Olympics Massachusetts South Section Director."

Columbia Lodge #540 is Taunton’s chapter of the Order Sons of Italy in America, the largest and longest-established organizations of Italian Americans in the United States.

Greater Taunton team members Barbara Leary and her son Andy Maynard of Raynham share a warm moment together after winning bronze medals in the First Annual Special Olympics South Section Bocce Tournament.

6 Keith Drive, Norton, MA 02766 View Map

Watch a Slide Show of this Home
(turn on your speakers for the full experience)

Stunning Colonial

Located in the beautiful neighborhood of Maple Commons, just one glance at this 4 bedroom Colonial home & you can clearly see a great pride of ownership. Curb appeal is in full effect with the well-manicured lawn & beautiful walkway. Imagine coming home & enjoying all this property has to offer from the bright & sunny kitchen, complete with hardwood floors, oak cabinets, granite counters & island, to the gas fireplace living room. Master bedroom with lots of closet space. Finished lower level. Great access to highways & train.

Slide Show Tour  ||  Circle Pix Tour

Explosives Found in Vehicle, Norton Home

July 7, 2009 - Norton, MA - On July 6 at 6:49pm, Norton Police Patrolman James Cameron stopped a vehicle in the area of 194 South Worcester Street based on information that the vehicle contained explosives. The operator, Jason M. Driscoll, 37, of 249 South Worcester Street Apt 3, Norton, confirmed to the officer that explosives were in the vehicle.  Driscoll was then placed under arrest.

Norton Police Detectives, the State Police Bomb Squad, the Norton Fire Department, and the State Fire Marshall's Office were notified and responded to the scene. That area of South Worcester Street was closed for approximately four hours. CSX was notified to stop all train traffic due to the tracks in close proximity to the incident. Four residences in the immediate area were evacuated.

The State Police Bomb Squad used a robot to remove the device from the vehicle and disrupted the device at 9:24pm. The device was described as appearing to be homemade. The regional Hazardous Materials Team was notified and responded to the scene. Driscoll's residence was then searched. Chemicals and explosive making materials were removed, tested by the Hazmat Team, and confiscated.

No one was injured in the incident.

The Norton Police Department has recently received several reports of explosions in this area. The area has also seen incidents of mailboxes being exploded, with one incident sending metal shrapnel into a residence and breaking windows.

Driscoll was transported to the Norton Police Department and later to the Bristol County House of Correction where he is being held on $5,000 cash bail.  Driscoll will be arraigned today in Taunton District Court.

Driscoll was charged with Possession of an Infernal Device.

Morton Hospital Honors Employees of the Month

July 4, 2009 - Taunton, MA – Morton Hospital and Medical Center recently held a reception honoring its second quarter Employees of the Month. Award recipients are nominated by co-workers, patients or family members, and have demonstrated a commitment to quality and dedicated service to patient care and customer relations.

The Hospital honored: Frank Cannizzaro, Environmental Services; Kelley Brennan, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech Pathology; and Rob Brien Berks, BSN, RN, Emergency Room. These employees were recognized by Thomas Porter, President and CEO of Morton Hospital, and joined by a group of fellow employees, family and friends. Each award recipient was presented with an honorary plaque and a special thank you gift for their outstanding contributions to the Hospital.

L-R: Thomas Porter, Morton Hospital President, honors 2^nd quarter Employees of the Month; Frank Cannizzaro, Environmental Services; Kelley Brennan, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech Pathology; and, Rob Brien-Berks, BSN, RN, Emergency Room.

Morton Hospital Physician to Host "New Treatments for Diabetes"

July 1, 2009 - Taunton, MA – Morton Hospital and Medical Center will host the final program of its Spring/Summer Community Education Lecture Series on Thursday, July 9. The series consists of monthly lectures, seminars and special events that provide important information on a variety of health and wellness topics and promote new services offered at Hospital.

Gilbert Brovar, MD, Morton Hospital Endocrinologist, will host the lecture and discuss new diabetic treatment options. The lecture will be held in the Hospital’s Margaret Stone Conference Room at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

The Community Education Series is free and open to the public, however, pre-registration is required. To register for this program, call the Morton Hospital Health Services Referral Line at (508) 828-7777.

Home Page 3