An alleged “sweetheart deal” with the newly hired Plymouth County administrator is being challenged in court as excessive and illegal. Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien filed suit against his county commissioners on Wednesday asking a judge to vacate the contract and issue a preliminary injunction on the hire until his suit is decided. The ongoing […]
Author Archives: Andrea Estes - Independent Staff
Posted inPolice & Fire
Court watcher charged with jury intimidation
A 56-year-old Sutton mother of three was arrested outside of Plymouth Superior Court on Tuesday after she was allegedly caught taking video of jurors emerging from the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. Her case – one her attorney called an unintentional misunderstanding – has gone viral because of the media swarm outside waiting for a verdict […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Well-known vet facing criminal charges
A longtime Plymouth veterinarian – already facing abuse charges from an employee at his practice – was arrested again last week on unrelated drug charges. Arthur “Rick” Newman, 77, described on social media as “a legend in Plymouth for his love and dedication to treating family pets,” was found in his car with a crack […]
Posted inGovernment
Lifeguard incident prompts official complaint
A brand-new code of conduct adopted to promote civility among Town officials is being tested after a Select Board member filed the first-ever complaint under the new policy against one of his board colleagues. It’s just the latest salvo amid months of tension among the feuding Select Board members. The public sparring is largely what […]
Posted inGovernment
Full Sail lot owner sues Plymouth over eminent domain
The owner of the now demolished Full Sail bar on White Horse Beach this week sued the town, alleging the price Plymouth paid to take the property by eminent domain was “grossly inadequate.” The town offered the owner Theodore “Skip” Fucillo $269,000, even though Town Meeting had followed the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Jail visits suspended after cyber attack
The Plymouth County Correctional Facility’s computer system was shut down Thursday and in-person inmate visits suspended after a cyber intruder bypassed the jail’s security system and accessed its servers, an official said. State police, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the apparent breach, which was detected by the jail’s information technology […]
Posted inGovernment
Select Board votes 3-2 for new conduct policy
The Plymouth Select board narrowly approved a new civil conduct policy after a long debate Tuesday night that at times lacked civility. By a contentious 3-2 vote, the measure passed requiring all town officials – appointed or elected – to treat each other with respect. “Our goal was to create a clear, transparent process,” said […]
Posted inGovernment
Keohan accused of defying young lifeguard
A teenage lifeguard at Plymouth Beach has accused Select Board member Bill Keohan of refusing his order to wear a life jacket while paddleboarding near the shore. What began as an allegedly angry confrontation over a safety violation has become an amusing whisper campaign at Town Hall. The only one apparently not amused was Keohan, […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Pilot called ‘accomplished’
The Kingston man killed when his small plane crashed Thursday morning in Curlew Pond at Myles Standish State Forest was a skilled pilot who had just bought the aircraft three weeks ago, according to a friend at Plymouth Municipal Airport. Richard Carrara, 81, a frequent presence at the airport, took off at around 6:30 a.m. […]
Posted inPolice & Fire
Pilot killed after small plane crashes into Curlew Pond
An 81-year-old Kingson man was killed Thursday morning after his small plane crashed into a pond in Myles Standish State Forest, officials said. Plymouth police and firefighters arrived at Curlew Pond at around 7:45 a.m. and found the man – who was later identified as Richard Carrara, 81, of Kingston – trapped in the plane, […]