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District Four council candidate sees opening for a new voice

Charles Yancey, the longest-serving member on the City Council, is facing a formidable challenge for his Fourth District seat from political newcomer Andrea Campbell.

Meeting set on plans for T’s Mattapan lot

In an effort to include community input into the transit-oriented development of the commuter parking lot next to Mattapan Station, MassDot will host a public meeting at the station’s community room next Tuesday (April 22) at 5:30 p.m. “Any future development will need to continue to provide for safe and efficient station operation and maintenance, pedestrian and vehicular access, bus circulation and a minimum of 50 commuter parking spaces,” said the agency in a posted notice.

North Miami ex-mayor appeals mortgage fraud conviction

The former mayor of North Miami is appealing her conviction and prison sentence in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme. An attorney for Lucie Tondreau recently filed a notice of appeal, which will be considered by the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Tondreau was convicted by a federal jury in December of working with her ex-fiance and two other men to trick banks into loaning them $11 million between 2005 and 2008. The 55-year-old Tondreau was a widely-known and respected member of South Florida's Haitian community who used a local radio show to find straw buyers.

21 people found drowned off Haiti's north coast, 17 missing

At least 21 people have died and 17 others are missing in a suspected boat capsizing off Haiti's northern coast, authorities said on April 9. The group was among 50 believed to be aboard a boat that was headed north to the nearby Turks & Caicos Islands, said Jean Henri Petit, an official with Haiti's Civil Protection Department. He said survivors told police the boat encountered bad weather and tried to return to Haiti when it hit something.

Mining in Haiti on hold amid uncertainty and opposition

CAP-HAITIEN— The 50-year-old man from the village scrambled up a grassy hill to ask the onsite manager of a U.S. mining company for work. Joseph Tony had heard VCS Mining Inc. was bringing jobs, along with paved roads and electricity, to this corner of rural northern Haiti. "Everybody is waiting,'' he said.

UN: Peacekeeper from Chile killed in Haiti attack

The United Nations says that one of its international peacekeepers in Haiti has been killed in an attack. A statement from the U.N. Security Council says the slain peacekeeper was from Chile. It did not identify him or provide specifics on the incident other than to say it was a April 13 attack on a vehicle of the U.N. stabilization mission.

Haitian-American artist featured in City Hall exhibit

The Mayor's Office of Arts + Culture will feature “Borderless Bird," an exhibition of paintings by Colette Bresilla of East Boston, beginning on April 6. The exhibition will hang in the Mayors Gallery on the fifth floor of Boston City Hall until May 15. "I am proud to feature artwork from a member of Boston's Haitian community," said Mayor Walsh. "Colette's remarkable paintings will undoubtedly inspire the public, and I hope everyone has an opportunity to stop by and visit."

JetBlue to launch non-stop flights to Port-au-Prince from Boston's Logan

JetBlue will launch twice-a-week, non-stop flights from Boston to Port-au-Prince on June 17, 2015 through September 5. JetBlue Flight 1147 will depart Boston at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Port-au-Prince at 2:15 p.m. Flight 1148 will depart Port-au-Prince at 3:15pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Boston at 7:40 p.m. The new Haiti service will complement JetBlue's existing daily flights from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and twice daily service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

Sen. Forry, USCIS to host immigration forum in Mattapan

Senator Linda Dorcena Forry is hosting a special meeting with United States Custom & Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Mayor's Office of New Bostonians on Thursday, January 22 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at St. Angela's Parish Hall located at 1554 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan. Senator Forry and USCIS will be discussing federal programs such as Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program (HFRPP), Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and their impact on the Haitian community.

Boston Haitian Reporter