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Students file into the Westport Middle High School on the first day of classes in the building this September.

Westport police in schools Friday following online threat

Westport police will be on hand at all public schools Friday, after school officials learned of a threat to "every school in the USA, even elementary," posted on the social media platform Tik Tok … more

By Ted Hayes | 12/17/21

Lou Perry hauls out a Christmas tree from his family's Hidden Spruce Farm this past Sunday. Perry worked the farm as a teenager, and purchased it with his family this past June.

Christmas comes early for new Westport tree farmers

Christmas won't be here for another 16 days, but it came early this year for Lou Perry, his wife Marta and son Travis. more

By Ted Hayes | 12/7/21

Volunteer Elizabeth Peters helps client Joe Barreiro with selecting produce during a visit to the East Bay Food Pantry in Bristol last week.

Food prices are rising, and so are trips to local food banks

Everything is getting more expensive, and that includes food. According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual rate of inflation in the United States was 6.2 … more

By Scott Pickering | 12/2/21

Westport transfer station employee Stephanie Harvey greets visitors to the transfer station Friday morning.

Westport trash service back following shutdown

The Westport Transfer Station is once again accepting household waste, after service was suspended earlier this week due to problems with the town's former trash provider. On Monday, the Board … more

By Ted Hayes | 11/12/21

Westport resident Paul Vidal with family.

NTSB: Medical issue caused fatal plane crash

A medical issue led to the November 2019 plane crash that claimed the life of a Westport man in New Bedford. Paul E. Vidal, 74, was killed when the Cessna 150M he was piloting nosedived into New … more

By Ted Hayes | 11/12/21

The restaurant industry faces a crisis, as nearly every business struggles to find and retain the workers who keep them running

Restaurants short on staff and high on stress — Apply within

The signs are everywhere. Literally, the signs are everywhere. “Help Wanted.” “Now hiring.” “Seeking: Line Cooks, Bartenders, Dishwashers.” Almost … more

By Scott Pickering | 11/11/21

A Westport resident unloads at the transfer station. Town officials hope the current hauling crisis will be over by Monday, Nov. 15.

Westport trash piles up, with nowhere to go

Westporters who bring their trash to the transfer station this week are in for an unwelcome surprise — the town's three household waste dumpsters are full, there is no room for more trash, and … more

By Ted Hayes | 11/9/21

Westport couple buys Walt's Farm

A local couple has purchased Walt's Farm from the Westport Land Conservation Trust, and will continue to farm the 12-acre apple orchard that has become a landmark in the north part of town. … more

11/3/21

Emu killed by 'large' predator in Westport

A Westport woman lost a beloved emu this week to what she suspects was either a coyote or, less likely, a bear attack. Digger, a 100-pound emu about 20 years old, was dragged from its pen on … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/21/21

Westport fisherman Paul Leuvelink (right) dumps a half bushel of quahogs into the East Branch of the Westport River Friday afternoon. In all, he and other helpers deposited 71 bushels of necks.

Another transplanting season in books for Westport's 'Money Clam'

Some time next week, Chris Leonard and his crew of volunteer helpers will dump the last of this year's quahogs in the Westport River, continuing a propagation program that over the years has kept the … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/13/21

Sasha and Casey Jones are Ed Aldrich's constant companions.

Little Compton fund-raiser is for the birds, literally

Ed Aldrich isn't worried so much about himself as the cold weather approaches, but for his two long-time companions and best friends, Sasha and Casey Jones. Sasha is a former rescue bird, a … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/8/21

New state virtual learning academy growing

75 students from 10 districts across the state have signed up for the Rhode Island Connections Academy, an all-virtual school program. more

By Ethan Hartley | 10/7/21

Pennfield School eighth-grader Spencer Mazur works on a drawing during an outdoor art class.

These schools opened — and stayed opened

When The Pennfield School in Portsmouth recently held an assembly on their front lawn celebrating the 50th anniversary of the start of classes, students and staff, all masked and spread out, were … more

By Lucy Probert | 9/24/21

A conversation with the team behind Bristol Porchfest (PODCAST)

Host Kevin Centazzo, aka Kevin from Bristol, speaks with Bristol Porchfest Co-Chair Nancy Kellner and Co-Technical Director Joe Caron on the highly popular event coming to downtown Bristol this … more

9/15/21

Dr. Kerri McKinnon, the school's principal, directs students to their first period classroom.

Westport opens new $97 million middle high school

More than 800 students poured into Westport's brand new flagship middle and high school Tuesday morning, nearly two years after groundbreaking began on the $97 million project and a decade after high … more

By Ted Hayes | 9/7/21

Calling for a show of hands, the zoning board of review voted on the cell tower plan at 8:11 p.m. Wednesday. Mr. Elias, with hand raised, was the only member to vote in favor of Municipal Communications LLC. The applicant's attorney, Brian Corey, has his back to the camera.

Westport rejects Masquesatch cell phone tower

Members of the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday evening overwhelmingly rejected a telecommunications company's request to build a 150-foot cell phone tower at 67 Masquesatch Road, voting … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/19/21

Rowers Finnegan Hall, 14, Zach Carter, 14, Ethan Stewart, 14, and James Albanese, 11, row a Cornish pilot gig with Dharma Voyage instructors Janet Hadley and Don Dufault down the East Branch of the Westport River during rowing class last Monday, August, 2.

School's out in Westport, but rowing's in

It only took an hour or so before they got used to their boats last Monday. Since then, it's been smooth sailing, so to speak, for the 10 young rowers enrolled in Dharma Voyage's new community youth … more

8/13/21

A photo of the Cherry & Webb dunes from the application on file with the conservation commission.

Westport dunes boardwalk plan continued

Westport Conservation on Wednesday continued a hearing on a proposed beach boardwalk sought at Westport Point until its next meeting in September. Applicants Keith Miranda and Michael Tzannes, … more

By Ted Hayes | 8/11/21

Tih-Fen Ting wrests a male fledgling from its nest on he East Branch of the Westport River. A team including members of the Mass. Audubon and it's volunteers captured twelve fledglings for the state of Illinois Osprey Recovery Project on Tuesday morning, July 13.

Audubon and volunteers collect osprey for long journey to Illinois

Born on the Westport River, a dozen young osprey took flight recently — in a plane — and landed at their new home in Illinois. There it is hoped that they will help launch an osprey … more

Story and Photos by Richard W. Dionne Jr. | 7/27/21

Tim Palmer in the garage with one of his Mean Green electric riding mowers.

The sound of (near) silence — Tim’s Lawn Care goes electric

WESTPORT — Ah, the sweet sounds of summer — birds chirping, children at play and the Friday evening din of the lawn care company’s stand-on mowers and 80-decibel backpack blowers … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/23/21

Bruce Burdett at a patio table outside his Bristol home, where he often works. The editor of The Sakonnet Times and Westport Shorelines is retiring this week after 45 years with East Bay Newspapers. “There’s something in all of us that likes to tell people stories, and this was my way to be able to do it,” he said.

After 5 decades in journalism, Bruce Burdett's hanging up his notebook

When Bruce Burdett first arrived in Bristol to start his new job at East Bay Newspapers in the mid-’70s, he was just two years out of college with only minimal experience working for his school … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/22/21

Tiverton man charged with child molestation after missing Pennsylvania girl found

TIVERTON — A Tiverton man faces a charge of first degree child molestation sexual assault after a missing Pennsylvania girl was found at a Tiverton home on Wednesday, July 7. Tiverton Police … more

By Bruce Burdett | 7/15/21

Jeremy Howard poses with Harper Oates, the inspiration for The Play Brigade, alongside the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue in New York City. The statue originally faced the “Bull of Wall Street statue and children often climbed up to pose for pictures with the girl. When Harper first visited she was unable to because of the raised plinth. Her mother was instrumental in advocating for the statue to be repositioned at ground level when it was later moved across the street from the NYSE. This picture was taken at the conclusion of the Fearless Girl relay that Ms. Oates organized.

Little Compton man tackles The Long Trail — at double time

LITTLE COMPTON — On or about June 20, the plan was for Little Compton ultramarathon runner Jeremy Howard to get himself to the village of North Troy, Vt., on the Canadian border. There, at … more

Bruce Burdett | 6/24/21

Max Julian tends a net from the bow of one of the work boats as the Maria Mendonsa circles in the background on a murky morning.

Family, friends mourn student/fisherman

LITTLE COMPTON — At 22 years old, Little Compton resident Maximus Julian was about to graduate … more

Bruce Burdett | 6/11/21

Couple and realtor signing papers for new house

The buying frenzy — and frustration — continue

Your company just announced that your division is being relocated from the Midwest headquarters to the East Coast. In fact, your new office is situated in Rhode Island — home to beautiful … more

By Josh Bickford | 5/20/21