August News Notes

Police Arrest Suspect in Hit-and-Run of Seekonk Assistant Town Clerk

Police charged Jacob LaCourse, 24, of Attleboro. in connection with the hit-and-run in January that killed Karen McHugh, Assistant Town Clerk. LaCourse is being held in jail without bail. Joseph LaCourse, Jacob’s father, reportedly turned him into police after learning from his daughter that Jacob was involved in the crash, according to the Sun Chronicle. McHugh was hit by a car outside her home on Arcade Avenue one night as she was walking to her mailbox.

Selectmen Want to Review Town Charter

Selectmen want to put together a committee to review the town charter. Voters at the June town meeting defeated an article seeking legislative authorization for residents to select a nine-member commission to study the charter. Selectmen want to form the committee anyway, but are reportedly having trouble finding volunteers to join the commission.

Seekonk Has New Town Planner

Seekonk’s new town planner is John Aubin. He previously served as town planner in Cumberland and North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Aubin replaces John Hansen who resigned in December.

Police Arrest Suspect in Series of House Burglaries

Police arrested a suspect, James Stanzione, 27, in connection with a string of home burglaries that took place between July 23 and July 26. Police received a tip on the suspect’s location after surveillance images of a man attempting to use a victim’s credit card were distributed on social media and through the news media. Four burglaries occurred on Cynthia Road, Cole Street and Watson Street in the south end of town. In all four break-ins, owners were home at the time. Items taken include cellphones, a camera, wallets and handbags.

Seekonk Police Dept. Has Two New Officers

Two new officers, Patrolmen Benjamin Mello, 32, of Pawtucket and James Nelson, 25, of Mansfield, joined the ranks of the Seekonk Police Department last month. Patrolman Mello grew up in Seekonk and is a graduate of Seekonk High School. He previously worked as a customer service sales representative for an investment firm and studied at UMass Amherst for several years. Mello is also a member of the Army National Guard and has served two tours of active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a recipient of the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in over 400 combat missions. Patrolman Nelson previously worked for a local carpentry company and was a reserve police officer for the Town of Mansfield. As a reserve police officer, Mello achieved certification with police mountain bikes. He is a graduate of Westfield State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.

Newman YMCA Receives Grant from Bristol County Savings Bank

The Newman YMCA recently received a $5,000 grant from the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation. Bristol County Savings Bank awarded more than $40,000 in grants to six area non-profit organizations.

Public Hearing Planned for SRPEDD Municipal Aggregation Plan

The community electricity aggregation program is moving forward. In July, thirteen local communities including Rehoboth, Seekonk and Attleboro filed a petition with the Department of Public Utilities seeking approval of a municipal plan. The towns have contracted with Good Energy to assist with the preparation of the plan and related filings. The Department of Public Utilities will conduct a Public Hearing at its offices located at One South Station, 5th floor, in Boston on Wednesday, August 26 at 2 p.m. to receive comments on the plan. Any person interested in commenting may do so at the public hearing or submit written comments to the department no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25.