10.19.2026 Board of Health

The Fall River Board of Health held a virtual meeting on October 19, 2026, chaired by Thomas Cory, with board members Michael J. Coughlin and Stephen Gagliardi, MD, and Health and Human Services Director Tess Curran present. The board promptly approved the minutes from the August 31, 2026 meeting before reviewing and unanimously approving two tattoo apprenticeship applications: one for Kendra Salmonson at Up in Flames Tattoo (228 South Main Street) and another for Cameron O'Shaughnessy at Flaming Balls Tattoo / Skin Pins Piercing (1120 Stafford Road).

The board then conducted two public hearings regarding second-offense tobacco control violations for selling to minors. For the first hearing concerning International Smoke Shop at 1572 Pleasant Street, store owner Najd Khalil acknowledged that an employee failed to verify identification during a September 9 compliance check. The board voted unanimously to impose a three-day tobacco sales suspension and noted the mandatory $2,000 fine, agreeing to discuss Khalil's request for a payment extension offline. In the second hearing, the board addressed Stop and Save at 345 Robeson Street, where a clerk sold Backwoods cigars to an underage buyer who verbally stated she was 19. Noting that the store had already paid the mandatory $2,000 fine and had a previous underage sale violation within the past year, the board voted unanimously to issue a maximum seven-day suspension to owner Imran Hassan.

During the Director's Report, Director Tess Curran briefed the board on ongoing community and municipal employee flu clinics, the rollout of a new Request for Proposals process for Shannon Grant funding managed by coordinator Crystal Stone, and an upcoming presentation by HHS epidemiologist Hannah at the MHOA conference. Curran also noted that beaver deceivers installed by the water department had been functioning effectively and agreed to follow up with water officials regarding municipal fluoridation. The board then agreed to schedule its next meeting for December 14, 2026, before adjourning.

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