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Mo (left) and Pat Dalessio, residents of Benjamin Church Manor, are frustrated that they have no idea when they might be able to receive the COVID vaccine.

State amends vaccine priorities as frustration grows

Once praised for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state officials have been been criticized for what has been characterized by many as a botched rollout of the vaccine. A look at the … more

By Christy Nadalin | 2/4/21

FBI arrests Bristol man for cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme

According to a Department of Justice press release, Jeremy Spence, 24, of Bristol, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and charged with one count of commodities fraud and one count of wire … more

2/3/21

Bristol registers more than 1,200 seniors on day one

Bristol’s COVID-19 vaccination registration process for senior residents began at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning with a frenzy of calls and online registrations to the town’s senior … more

2/3/21

This house, on a 2.18-acre swatch of Metacom Avenue land slated for development, was once owned by Cool Moose Party founder and well-known local attorney Robert Healey.

Apartments planned for former Cool Moose property in Warren

A Metacom Avenue property formerly owned by Cool Moose Party founder Robert Healey could soon be the site of an 18-unit apartment complex, and an engineer said it is possible that more apartments … more

By Ted Hayes | 1/29/21

Roger Williams University junior Samantha L’Esperance is a dedicated arts student who would like to make a career of it. Between COVID-19 impacts and the loss of the university’s ceramics studio, she feels like her ambitions are “slowly going down the drain.”

University studios are packed up and put on hold

For the past four years, Roger Williams University maintained two fully equipped art studios for its visual arts students. Today those studios sit inside a storage facility. The … more

By Samantha Tavares | 1/29/21

Veteran Karl Antonevich stands before the Memorial Garden, a place of reverence for Bristol veterans and citizens.

A place of honor for the Bristol veterans

They’ve had to pack up and move a lot of times over the years, but the Bristol Veterans Council may have finally found their forever home. According to Veterans Council Vice President Karl … more

By Christy Nadalin | 1/28/21

Isabel, a freshman from Rockland, N.Y., swabs her nose as part of the coronavirus test.

Roger Williams welcomes students back to campus

By all accounts, Roger Williams University did an excellent job managing COVID within its community over the course of the fall term. They are looking forward to a repeat of that success beginning … more

1/28/21

Aaron Ley was one of two Bristol town councilors in favor of forming a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, but he was in the minority, during a meeting held on Zoom Jan. 20.

Bristol denies diversity group’s request for formal committee

Bristol resident Rob Hancock and many others spoke at length at last Wednesday night’s Bristol Town Council meeting regarding the establishment of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee … more

By Christy Nadalin | 1/27/21

Three homes destroyed in devastating fire on Prudence Island

PRUDENCE ISLAND — Three homes were completely destroyed by a late-night fire on Prudence Island Thursday. One woman managed to escape safely from the home at which the fire apparently … more

By Jim McGaw | 1/22/21

Bristol Warren school chief steps aside temporarily to be with family

Bristol Warren's school superintendent is stepping away from the job for five weeks to be with his family and provide support to his mother, who is facing health problems. Superintendent Dr. … more

By Ted Hayes | 1/22/21

The new bike route would include a network of downtown streets, all with street markings and signage to improve safety and allow versatility for cyclists.

Bristol bike path engineers decide to go with the flow

The plan to extend the East Bay Bike Path through downtown Bristol to the base of the Mt. Hope Bridge has undergone a significant revision. After spending much of 2020 studying possible bike routes … more

By Scott Pickering | 1/22/21

Paddle board teammates Peter Maloney and Eileen Malloy, both of Bristol, return the ball back over the net during a pickle ball match on the Town Common on Tuesday.

Pickleball on the Common — a ‘winter lifesaver’

Peter Maloney and his teammate Eileen Malloy celebrated after he whacked the softball-sized plastic yellow ball over the net, sending it whistling by his opponents, Cathy Winston and David Schwartz, … more

By Richard W. Dionne, Jr. | 1/21/21

Julie Brigidi, longtime shelter volunteer and board member of the Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter, spends some time with Ollie, a cat who was temporarily surrendered by his owner, who is struggling to find cat-friendly housing. According to Ms. Brigidi, serving as a temporary shelter for pet owners who are experiencing hardship is one of the many ideal ways the Friends would like to see the shelter utilized. “This could be a godsend for families experiencing displacement or hardship for any of a number of reasons,” said Ms. Brigidi, who added that Ollie’s owner is very much looking forward to reclaiming him as soon as she is able.

Advocates developing a new vision for Bristol’s animal shelter

Things are pretty quiet at Bristol’s new, state-of-the-art animal shelter these days, and yes, COVID shoulders some of that blame — but not all of it. The reality is that even before the … more

By Christy Nadalin | 1/21/21

With all sailors safe following the capsize of Patriot, work begins to start righting the AC75.

Bristol-built Patriot sustains significant damage in capsize

It was a rough end to the weekend on the other side of the world when Patriot, one of the Bristol-built AC75 foiling monohull American Magic yachts built to challenge for the America’s Cup, … more

1/20/21

The lower Kickemuit Reservoir dam on Child Street is becoming less and less effective at keeping saltwater from traveling north into the reservoir.

Nearby residents oppose Warren dams' removal

Residents near the Kickemuit Reservoir are hiring legal representation and engineers to fight the Bristol County Water Authority's plan to remove the upper Kickemuit dam on Schoolhouse Road, and the … more

1/20/21

Water authority proposes another rate increase

Bristol County Water Authority customers should expect rate increases each year for the next 10 years, starting with a proposed 5 percent increase this year. BCWA Executive Director Pam Marchand … more

By Josh Bickford | 1/19/21

Democratic Town Committee returns top three officers to their posts

The Bristol Democratic Town Committee held its biennial reorganizational meeting and election of officers on Monday, Jan. 11. Three officers retained positions first assumed two years ago: Erich … more

1/15/21

Dr. Philip Chan, the consultant medical director at the Department of Health's Division of Preparedness, Response, Infectious Disease and Emergency Medical Services, speaks to reporters via ZOOM Friday morning.

Health officials: More than 51,000 Rhode Islanders at least partially inoculated

More than 51,000 Rhode Islanders had been at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus by Friday morning, according to state Department of Health officials, with 9,243 of them fully … more

By Ted Hayes | 1/15/21

Organizers and protestors march into downtown Bristol during a Black Lives Matter rally in June.

Diversity advocates draft proposal for new Bristol committee

A group of Bristol residents advocating for the creation of a new “Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” have completed their initial phase of work and outlined both the mission … more

1/14/21

Despite changes, trash costs keep rising

The cost of trash disposal in Rhode Island is measured in “tipping fees” — the per-ton price municipalities are charged by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation for waste … more

By Christy Nadalin | 1/14/21

Neighbors were first alerted to this fire when the transformer on the utility pole exploded.

Bristol firefighters douse flames quickly

A call came in around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning that this home at 9 William St. was on fire. Neighbor Oliver Browne, a Mt. Hope High School student, was on the second floor of his family’s home … more

1/13/21

Bristol Warren schools plan mass Covid test

Bristol Warren school officials are working with the state Department of Health to organize a one-day mass event in which every person in the towns' school community — students, teachers and … more

By Ted Hayes | 1/12/21

Bristol Police: Multiple domestic violence arrests, plus gun shots in the woods

Bristol police officers made three arrests connected to domestic incidents from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, as shown in excerpts from the log of Bristol Police activities (see below). Monday, Dec. 28 … more

1/8/21

Rapid testing in Bristol begins Saturday

Beginning Saturday, Jan. 9, Bristol will have its own testing site at the Town Beach, offering rapid COVID-19 tests for any resident who wants one. According to Town Administrator Steven … more

1/8/21

Greg Gatos, co-owner of Bristol House of Pizza, works in the kitchen on Tuesday. A week ago, his family business was granted a license upgrade, from beer and wine to full liquor.

Three Bristol restaurants making moves in the new year

Several liquor licenses were on the agenda at the Dec. 30 Town Council meeting, with requests ranging from upgrades to transfers, to the establishment of new licenses, and notably, the applications … more

By Christy Nadalin | 1/8/21