fall river

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) is suing the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a Quincy-based group that guides national standards for firefighters’ protective gear, alleging that the NFPA is colluding with gear manufacturers and profiting from the standards that effectively require PFAS to be included in firefighters’ protective suits.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a step forward in the decades-long effort to bring commuter rail service to New Bedford and Fall River.

Firefighters from Fall River, Hyannis, and Nantucket are participating in a study to see whether PFAS chemicals are working their way from firefighters’ gear into their bodies. The results could eventually help lead to the standardization of protective apparel that’s made with less – or even zero – PFAS.

About two hundred people gathered in Fall River Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. The event included musical performances and a release of about a dozen white doves to commemorate those who died by overdose in the past year.

This week, construction crews continued work on the Fall River Depot, which will connect commuters to Boston via the South Coast Rail project. A second line, linking Boston with New Bedford, is also under construction.

Fall River’s budget could one day be strained by $3.2 million-worth of comp time owed to police officers who earned the time off by working extra shifts and performing special duties. While that money isn’t funded in the budget, the city must pay officers for their unused comp time upon retirement.