🌱 What new claims are families making over Fall River’s deadliest fire?

Hey there, Fall River! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• What new claims are families making over Fall River’s deadliest fire?
• How a Fall River murder charge ended in a manslaughter verdict
• Why this Fall River murder suspect is being held without bail

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Fall River? Post it to Fall River photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Clouds and sun; not as cold, with a high of 34 and low of 29 degrees.
• Wednesday: Breezy and not as cold, temps: high: 48, low: 25.
• Thursday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 47 and low of 43 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Two more wrongful death suits filed for Gabriel House assisted living facility fire victims (masslive.com) — Families of two residents who died in the deadly July fire at Fall River’s Gabriel House assisted living facility have filed new wrongful death lawsuits in Fall River Superior Court. The suits allege negligence over a defective sprinkler system and poor management, adding to multiple existing civil cases stemming from the 261 Oliver St. tragedy.
   

2. Fall River man convicted of manslaughter in killing of former New Bedford girlfriend at Fall River car wash (fallriverreporter.com) — A Fall River man has been convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, in the killing of his former girlfriend at the Globe Car Wash on Broadway. Fall River police, Bristol County prosecutors, and surveillance evidence all figured in the case, with sentencing scheduled for Thursday.
   

3. Fall River man wanted for city murder, held without bail in Fall River Court after extradition from Florida (fallriverreporter.com) — A 32-year-old Fall River resident has been extradited from Florida and arraigned in Fall River District Court on a murder charge connected to a November killing in the city. He’s being held without bail as he also faces a probation violation in Superior Court and has a pretrial hearing set for January 23.
   

4. Not ‘Just a Box You Check': QAPI, Facility Assessments, Frontline Staff Among Compliance Challenges in 2026 (skillednursingnews.com) — A national look at 2026 nursing home compliance changes uses the deadly July 2025 fire at Fall River’s Gabriel House Assisted Living as a stark reminder of why emergency preparedness and training matter. Industry leaders discuss tightening regulations, stronger quality programs, and clearer facility assessments to prevent future tragedies and keep long-term care residents safer.
   

📸 Around Fall River

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Fall River

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Wednesday December 17

• General Loss Grief Support Group - Virtual
  Charlton Memorial Hospital , 363 Highland Ave , Fall River
  12:00 pm

Friday December 19

• General Loss Grief Support Group
  Charlton Memorial Hospital , 363 Highland Avenue , Fall River
  5:00 am

Tuesday December 23

• Baby Café Breastfeeding Support Group
  Center for Women’s Health , 300B Faunce Corner Road , Dartmouth
  5:30 am

📣 Fall River Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday December 16

• AAA Driving School
  Somerset Berkley Regional High School Somerset, MA 02726
  4:30 pm
• SBRHS Winter Concert
  Somerset Berkley Regional High School Somerset, MA 02726
  6:30 pm
• D&D on Tuesdays
  OmniSource Games , 875 State Rd #12 , Westport
  8:00 pm

Wednesday December 17

• General Loss Grief Support Group - Virtual
  Charlton Memorial Hospital , 363 Highland Ave , Fall River
  12:00 pm

Thursday December 18

• Notice of Cable Television Public Hearing
  Somerset Public Library , 1464 County St , Somerset
  6:00 pm
• Winter Drama Production - Aud.
  Somerset Middle School Somerset, MA 02726
  7:00 pm

Friday December 19

• General Loss Grief Support Group
  Charlton Memorial Hospital , 363 Highland Avenue , Fall River
  5:00 am

Monday December 22

• Christmas/New Year Recess
  B M C Durfee High School , 360 Elsbree Street , Fall River
  8:00 am

Tuesday December 23

• Baby Café Breastfeeding Support Group
  Center for Women’s Health , 300B Faunce Corner Road , Dartmouth
  5:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Blount Fine Foods Corporation posted a job opening for Blending Operator I in Fall River. Apply here.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. posted a job opening for Crew Member in Fall River. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Fall River here.

Ok Fall River! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook