Police and Fire News

Disabled New Bedford boat towed to safety; Bourne Bridge pavement repairs to begin November 12th; Busted for skipping Jury Duty

Fishing boat Alaska towed to Nomans Land

VINEYARD - The Coast Guard is towing a New Bedford-based fishing vessel after the boat lost propulsion about 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod around 7:30 a.m., Friday.

Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a call at 7:48 a.m., from Coast Guard Sector Northern New England reporting that the fishing vessel Alaska was disabled due to a broken clutch and needed to be towed back to port. The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tybee, a 110-foot patrol boat, launched from Woods Hole, and arrived on scene around 8:45 p.m., to help the crew aboard the 92-foot fishing boat.

The crew of the Tybee plans to tow the Alaska to Nomans Land, an island south of Marth's Vineyard, where the vessel’s owner will arrange for a commercial company to take over the tow. On scene winds were around 12 miles per hour with seas between two and four feet and good visibility. No injuries were reported of the eight crewmembers aboard the Alaska. “It will take the crew of the Tybee twice as long to return with the 171 gross ton vessel in tow,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Leazott, a search and rescue controller working the case at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England. “We will be in touch with the Tybee crew every four hours to check the progress of the tow.”

Woman arrested for skipping Jury Duty and OUI

     Dana Olcutt

OAK BLUFFS - Arrested For Skipping Jury Duty and
drunk driving and drugs. Police in Oak Bluffs arrested 44-year-old Dana Olcott on Thursday afternoon. An officer recognized the woman and knew she had a warrant out of Dukes County Court for failure to appear for jury duty. While police say she was arrested for the warrant the subsequent charges include negligent operation, OUI Alcohol and possession of a Class C drug. I guess if you are out during the middle of the day and driving around drunk with a little prescription bottle rolling around, you probably have better things to do than go to jury duty.

According to Polive the Class C Substance examples include prescription tranquilizers and narcotics diazepam (Valium), Librium, Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, Dolacet, Hydrocet, Lortab, Codiclear DH, Tussionex, Cogesic, Anexia), mescaline, psilocybin/mushrooms, peyote, STP, other hallucinogenic substances, some medium doses of prescription narcotics. Story and photo by Ezra Sherman of  Vineyard Today.

Bourne Bridge pavement repairs to begin Wednesday, November 11

BOURNE - According to the US Army Corp of Engineers, pavement repairs will be made on the Bourne Bridge Tuesday, November 11th and Wednesday, November 12th.  The repairs will begin at 7pm Tuesday evening and should be completed by the following evening.

During the scheduled repair time, traffic over the Bourne Bridge will be limited to one lane in each direction.

No wide loads will be permitted to cross the bridge span, and State and local police will be present at all times while work is being performed to assist the motoring public. 

The bridge will be fully open to all traffic during daytime hours.  A message board, located at both approaches to the Bridge, will keep motorists advised of work efforts.