Acushnet Select Board Declares Local Emergency, Imposes Overnight Curfew During Blizzard

ACUSHNET — February 23, 2026 — Acushnet's Select Board declared a local state of emergency and banned non-essential travel through 6 a.m. Tuesday during a severe blizzard. Meeting in an emergency session Monday afternoon with only two of three members present — Chairman Robert Hinckley and one board member via Zoom, with Selectman Kevin Gaspar briefed separately and in agreement — the board took four unanimous roll-call votes: acknowledging the governor's existing state of emergency, declaring a local emergency, imposing an overnight curfew, and closing Town Hall to non-essential personnel on February 24. Town counsel Jamie Kelly confirmed the votes are required to qualify for state reimbursement of storm costs. Fire Chief Fallon announced he would use the formal local emergency declaration to request additional heavy equipment through the MEMA WebEOC portal, coordinating with DPW Director Dan Menard to accelerate road clearing on streets overwhelmed by snow accumulation.