It was no surprise that a succession of speakers Monday evening implored the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals to deny a permit for a controversial 40b condominium project proposed for North Plymouth. Residents have spoken out against the 163-unit complex at three ZBA meetings where the proposal has been debated. What may have come as […]
Author Archives: Andrea Estes - Independent Staff
Posted inGovernment
Town backs off on imposing restrictions on National Day of Mourning
The National Day of Mourning, the annual gathering to remember Native Americans and the suffering they endured through colonization, will take place again on Thanksgiving in Plymouth as it has for more than 50 years after the town agreed not to impose new restrictions on the event. The United American Indians of New England and […]
Posted inEducation
Some parents believe sex ed program for eighth graders goes too far
Should eighth graders learn that unprotected sex is especially risky, while deep tongue kissing is low risk and holding hands is not risky at all? Should they be taught what constitutes consent for sex— when “no” means no? Some Plymouth parents don’t think so. They object to a new sex education curriculum for eighth graders […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Plymouth contractor gets nine-month jail term
A Plymouth home improvement contractor bilked Massachusetts homeowners out of more than $500,000, collecting deposits on swimming pools and other projects and never completing the work, Plymouth County prosecutors allege. Steven Docchio, 59, was sentenced to nine months in jail Tuesday after pleading guilty to four counts of larceny over $1,200. Docchio was originally indicted […]
Posted inBusiness
Land bank seen as a way to rein in development
As town officials fight against a maligned 40b condominium project proposed for North Plymouth, they are working on a separate plan that would help them gain control over future development in Plymouth. A statehouse committee this week is scheduled to review the town’s land bank proposal, which Town Meeting approved in October 2024 by a […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Plymouth health care consultant among dozens arrested in child porn sting
A Plymouth health care consultant was among more than 50 people arrested across Massachusetts this week, accused of exploiting children, including by having, creating, or sharing child pornography. Keith Cheverie, 39, who describes himself online as a health care insurance expert, pleaded not guilty November 4 to one count of possessing and one count of […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Plymouth man charged with domestic abuse released from jail
A former Massasoit Community College police officer accused of battering a woman is free after a judge ruled that he should no longer be held without bail. Robert Coppage, 60, was working as a college security guard when he was charged October 28 with 12 criminal charges including strangulation, threats to commit murder, and assault […]
Posted inBusiness
‘Nobody in the community wants it’
Town leaders looking for ways to block a proposed North Plymouth condominium project are urging the sellers of the land on which it would be built to back out of the deal and work with them to come up with an alternate plan. Developer Pulte Homes’ proposed 163-unit project — which comes before the town’s […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Former college police officer held on domestic violence charges
A former college police officer is behind bars after he allegedly battered the woman he was living with by pointing a gun at her head and causing multiple bruises on her face and limbs, according to Plymouth police. Robert Coppage, 60, of Plymouth, was working as a campus security officer at Massasoit Community College in […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
‘I will carry this sorrow every day for the rest of my life’
It was a bittersweet end to a marathon court case that would decide if a Dorchester man was responsible for the overdose death of a 23-year-old woman at a Plymouth sober house. The defendant, William McNeill, 39, pleaded guilty this week in Plymouth Superior Court to manslaughter and drug distribution charges — almost seven years […]