Columns | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

I pledge allegiance to Trump

Nobody would argue that government is not corpulent and needs a diet, which the President is doing. While scholars are focused on whether much of President Donald Trump’s purge of programs and … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 2/18/25

Providence will be Ground Zero for an array of federal cuts

STORY OF THE WEEK: Providence is Rhode Island’s ground zero for an array of possible cuts sparked by the administration of President Donald Trump and his GOP congressional supporters. With … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/18/25

The President's moves incite a range of countermoves

STORY OF THE WEEK: Everyone talks about waste and fraud, but no one does anything about it. That may sum up the view of many, if not most, supporters of President Donald Trump as his administration … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/11/25

Richmond Elwell, Little Compton’s old lamplighter, switches on the lamps on the Common on July 4, 1976.

The Town Crier — lighting the way in Little Compton

The latest in a series of columns by 'The Town Crier,' celebrating Little Compton's 350th anniversary this year: During the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, Little Compton chose to celebrate … more

2/4/25

Turbulent waves keep rolling out of Washington

Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 31, 2025 1. STORY OF THE WEEK: If the past week tells us anything, here are a few starting points: 1) Democratic-leaning states like … more

By Ian Donnis | 2/4/25

Trump comes out swinging, pushes immigration to the forefront

STORY OF THE WEEK: President Trump ’s use of an executive order to try to eliminate birthright citizenship — a right enshrined in the Constitution not long after the Civil War — … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/27/25

Members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra play for students at the Wilbur McMahon School in Little Compton.

Commentary: Little Compton non-profit teaches love for the arts

Editor’s note: Neve Carmichael is a student at Tiverton High School, and wrote this article as part of her journalism studies. Music, in one guise or another, permeates through all … more

By Neve Carmichael | 1/22/25

Is Rhode Island's glass half-full, or half-empty?

STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Dan McKee had a high-profile platform last Tuesday, using his State of the State speech to assert that Rhode Island is “flipping the script” from some of the less … more

By Ian Donnis | 1/21/25

The ebbs and flows of the local news business

I was a reporter for two years. I was an editor for 14 years. I was a general manager for 12 years. I’ve been a publisher for a week. What’s the difference between the new gig and … more

By Scott M. Pickering | 1/18/25

Sakonnet Light is undeniably beautiful but can be deadly when the weather is in — working there nearly scared the lightkeeper to death in 1917.

Think the weather is cold enough now? Everything is relative

Editor's note: This column is part of a series dedicated to Little Compton's 350th anniversary celebration this year. For more, see the organizing committee's website . Most of us have heard of … more

By The Town Crier | 1/9/25

Column: Action led straight to schools’ lunchrooms

Youth of today are trapped in an unrelenting cycle of despair over the climate crisis. On social media, we’re bombarded with images of natural disasters, rising sea levels, and alarming … more

By Emma Pautz and Bella Quiroa | 1/8/25

A New Year’s resolution for state leaders

Here is a basic New Year’s resolution for state political leaders: “Spend taxpayer money as if it were you own.” Instead, far too many politicians make giddy spending decisions … more

By Arlene Violet | 12/31/24

Little Compton's own Colonel Henry Tillinghast Sisson, memorialized in this statue at the Common, invented the three ring binder.

Town Crier: Did you know these strange Little Compton facts?

In researching for Little Compton's upcoming 350th birthday celebration, I have found a few facts that would probably not fit in a column by themselves, but I found them interesting and fun. So here … more

By The Town Crier | 12/12/24

The bridge fallout still hovers over R.I. and the governor

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Dec. 11 marks the one-year anniversary of the abrupt emergency closing of the westbound Washington Bridge, a crisis whose full effect will … more

By Ian Donnis | 12/12/24

A Great Horned Owl surveys its territory from a native cherry tree perch in the East Bay. Great Horned Owls are widespread across the U.S. but bird count surveys have shown a significant decreasing trend in the eastern region. Photo courtesy of Butch Lombardi.

The symbiotic relationships between owls and woodpeckers

Head outside on a clear winter night in the East Bay and you might just be greeted by the deep, soft hoots of Great Horned Owls advertising their territories and calling to their mates. Listen more … more

By Cindy and Ed Moura | 12/12/24

Monitor and maintain the east side of the Washington Bridge

When you read this column it will have been nearly one year since the official closure of one side of the Washington Bridge (December 11, 2023). Its handling has demonstrated everything wrong about … more

By Arlene Violet | 12/6/24

Dr. Patrick T. Conley, chairman of the U.S. Constitution Council, delivers an address to dignitaries at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on Dec. 15, 1991, to mark the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights. U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger delivered a similar address on that day in Richmond, Virginia.

In praise and recognition of America’s Bill of Rights

December 15 is the anniversary of our Bill of Rights. On that date in 1791, Virginia’s ratification of Articles I through X of our Constitution incorporated them permanently into our … more

By Patrick T. Conley | 12/4/24

Message of Hope: Westport forms Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee

Welcome to Westport Health Notes, a monthly column from the Westport Board of Health (BOH). The goal is to share information with our community about local issues and projects, public health alerts, … more

By Donna Amaral, RN | 12/4/24

Governor’s race starts now

The quiet phase of the campaign season got a little louder this week. Welcome back to my weekly column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and what we used to call the twitters. … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/21/24

The 2024 election in review

With the 2024 election in the books, we’re on the fast-track to the holidays … and the quiet phase of a statewide election looming in 2026. Welcome back to my weekly column. You can … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/15/24

ILO Group report shined a bright spotlight on the governor

STORY OF THE WEEK: About three years after Attorney General Peter Neronha ’s probe into the ILO Group became public, the story hit a dramatic apex. On Tuesday, Neronha released his findings via … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/6/24

Approve Question 1: Constitutional Convention

When you vote in this election, I hope that you will also approve Question 1 - Constitutional Convention. There is little doubt that under the current system we have, particularly with the … more

By Arlene Violet | 10/30/24

The battle for Senate leadership; Raimondo drops in for Harris

The bumper crop of autumnal acorns could be used as fill to inch out the borders of the Ocean State. Welcome to the return of my weekly column. You can follow me through the week on threads and what … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/29/24

Unemployment low, but local jobs remain susceptible to ‘winds of economic change’

STORY OF THE WEEK: While inflation, immigration, abortion rights and the future of democracy are the top issues in the presidential race, the disruption of the American economy makes for a strong … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/11/24

Westport Health Notes: You can't see them, but microplastics are here

Welcome to Westport Health Notes, a monthly column from the Westport Board of Health (BOH). The goal is to share information with our community about local issues and projects, public health alerts, … more

10/9/24