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Third westbound lane on bridge opens April 20

A third lane of travel westbound on the east portion of the Washington Bridge will be available to drivers as of Saturday, April 20. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation made the … more

By Mike Rego | 4/18/24

Map shows limited bicycle infrastructure currently on Aquidneck Island. The recent completion of the shared use path associated with the Pell Bridge ramp project, however, has resulted in a notable increase, according to Ride Island.

Portsmouth endorses bike plan as ‘advisory resource’

Although it doesn’t seem additional road diets on East Main Road will happen any time soon , an island-wide plan has been endorsed by the Town Council as a guide toward improving safe biking … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/17/24

‘David vs. Goliath’ – the East Bay and the affordable housing fight

Shown here are the “affordability” metrics for the communities in the East Bay of Rhode Island. East Providence leads the way with the highest affordabilty ranking in the region, and it … more

By Douglas Gablinske | 4/17/24

Rep. Susan Donovan (left), or Bristol and Portsmouth, makes a point during a wide-ranging discussion at an East Bay Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. Sen. Pamela Lauria, or Barrington, East Providence and Bristol, looks on.

Lawmakers discuss a shortage of doctors and a bridge tumbling down

The East Bay Chamber of Commerce hosted a breakfast meeting with legislators earlier this month, with topics ranging from healthcare crisis to bridge crisis, from affordable housing to the minimum … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/16/24

East Main Road ‘diet’ appears dead in the water

PORTSMOUTH/MIDDLETOWN — Following a public hearing that lasted well over two hours Monday night, the Middletown Town Council voted 5-2 to reject a motion to support a road diet for East Main … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/16/24

Portsmouth dog owner cited after neighborhood attack

PORTSMOUTH — The owner of three unleashed dogs that attacked a leashed dog on Saturday has been cited by police, and a vicious dog hearing will be convened at some point. On the morning of … more

4/16/24

Members of the Portsmouth Middle School chess team pose with their trophies after winning the Southeast New England Chess Association Chess league. They are (back row, from left) Coach Gregg Purdy, Olivia Purdy, Amelia Davis, Patrick Schlesinger, Dan Lu, Coach John DiGangi; and (front row, from left) Chace Bolduc, Dominic Bolos, Charlie Billings, Caleb Thibeault, and Gagan Deep Palya Maruthi.

Checkmate for Portsmouth Middle School chess team

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Middle School chess team, coached by John DiGangi and Gregg Purdy, recently completed a remarkable 2023-2024 season and was recognized as the best team in Rhode … more

4/15/24

The student-run Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm, located on Jepson Lane, recently received a $20,000 grant from the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust. The grant will allow AgInnovation to serve a greater populous of students in the community and to finally take kids off the waiting list.

Grant helps increase capacity at student-run farm

PORTSMOUTH — The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust (HFCT) has awarded the student-run Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm a $20,000 grant to support ongoing programming at the farm. more

4/15/24

Cora Powledge of Portsmouth won a gold medal at the Division II/III qualifying fencing tournament held at the Boston Fencing Club earlier this month. She will compete in the Summer Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, from June 29 to July 8.

Portsmouth fencer qualifies for Summer Nationals

PORTSMOUTH — A local fencer is headed to Columbus, Ohio in June to compete in the Summer Nationals. Cora Powledge, from Portsmouth, scored a gold medal victory for the Rhode Island Fencing … more

4/15/24

Portsmouth Police charge man with child molestation

PORTSMOUTH — A 30-year-old man from Pennsylvania was charged by Portsmouth Police last week with two counts of second-degree child molestation. As a result of an investigation by the … more

4/15/24

Dorene Phillips, a music teacher at Portsmouth High School, stands inside the newly refurbished Little Theater. Phillips spearheaded efforts to acquire new seating, sound, lighting, curtains, carpeting and a paint job for the 53-year-old auditorium.

In Portsmouth: The Little Theater gets a big makeover

Nearly five years after the Portsmouth High School auditorium was completed upgraded, its little sister to the south is also new and improved. The “Little Theater” at Portsmouth … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/12/24

The five-bedroom home sits on the former site of a 67-acre saltwater farm.

Portsmouth home fetches $3.91 million

PORTSMOUTH — A five-bedroom home at 110 Farmlands Drive has sold for $3.91 million. According to statewide multiple listing service data, this is one of the top five home sales in … more

4/11/24

RIDEM stock ponds in anticipation of 2024 trout season

A rite of spring as much as any other, Opening Day of the 2024 trout season is set for Saturday, April 13, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has stocked more than 100 … more

4/10/24

Under a road diet that’s being floated by some officials in Portsmouth and Middletown, four lanes of travel on a long stretch of East Main Road would be reduced to two lanes, with a left-turn lane in the middle. Such a configuration would also provide additional room to accommodate bicycles, cycling advocates say.

Does East Main Road need to go on a ‘diet’?

PORTSMOUTH — Although the R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has already recommended against lane reductions for a major stretch of East Main Road due to high traffic counts, the … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/10/24

Nathan Kearns of Portsmouth was all smiles when he appeared at the 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 1. The 6-year-old earned himself and his family a trip to Washington, D.C. by designing an egg that was chosen to represent Rhode Island.

Portsmouth boy had ‘egg-citing’ time on White House lawn

PORTSMOUTH — It’s not every day you get to play on the White House lawn, but a local 6-year-old recently did just that. Nathan Kearns, a first-grader at St. Philomena School, got to … more

4/9/24

Green Oceans’ suit against Revolution Wind dismissed

A Newport County Superior Court judge last week ruled against the local citizens group Green Oceans, which had sued to prevent Revolution Wind from going forward with plans to install 65 turbines … more

4/9/24

A rendering of the proposed work area and pipeline under the Sakonnet.

Protests filed for Sakonnet River LNG pipeline

A Canadian energy company subsidiary is proposing to replace a 70-year-old liquefied natural gas transmission pipe under the Sakonnet River, a project company officials say will increase capacity and … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/8/24

Portsmouth woman charged with cruelty to animals

PORTSMOUTH — A 51-year-old Portsmouth woman has been charged with cruelty to animals. At about 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, officers responded to 28 Sprague Court to … more

4/8/24

The west-to-east side crossover on Interstate 195 towards the Washington Bridge will be moved closer to the span in an attempt to alleviate congestion.

RIDOT preps new lane configuration on east side of bridge

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will shift the location of the crossover from the westbound side of Interstate 195 to the eastbound side and eventually over the Washington Bridge as … more

By Mike Rego | 4/8/24

Aerial view shows location of farmland that sold for $3.1 million. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church can be seen at right, with St. Mary’s Pond in the background.

$3.1M sale called second highest of vacant land in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — Twenty-four acres of pastoral farmland on Paquins Lane has sold for $3.1 million, and now the Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) is working with the property’s new owner in … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/5/24

A candle bearing Owen Cameron’s image sits atop a skateboard at Channing Memorial Church in Newport Saturday night, when a vigil in his memory was held. Twenty people took to the microphone to share moving tributes to the Portsmouth High School junior, whose body was found in Middletown March 27, four days after he was last seen leaving his job on foot.

‘He was a light’

PORTSMOUTH — Ava McDermott said a simple act of kindness was all it took for her to realize how special Owen Cameron was. more

By Jim McGaw | 4/3/24

Philip Genereux uses special glasses to view a solar eclipse during an event at the Portsmouth Free Public Library in August 2017. While the library is not hosting a formal viewing of Monday’s eclipse, it’s distributing solar eclipse glasses on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

In Portsmouth: Extra caution urged when viewing eclipse Monday

The last solar eclipse in the United States until 2045 is coming our way Monday, April 8, and its timing has put local schools on alert. more

By JIM MCGAW | 4/2/24

Casey Cord (left) and Cam Ruggieri (middle) celebrate they both score on a John Mass double in the sixth inning against Mt. Hope on Monday, as teammates Nick Spaner (mid-right) and Charlie Cord (right) look on.

Portsmouth wins home opener against Mt. Hope, 8-3

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School varsity baseball team started its season in fine fashion Monday, winning a home opener against Mt. Hope by a score of 8-3. The Patriots … more

4/2/24

Two Portsmouth men arrested on drug, weapons charges

PORTSMOUTH — Police officers from Portsmouth and Middletown executed a search warrant at an Old Mill Lane home Saturday afternoon and ending up arresting two men as part of a joint narcotics … more

4/1/24

Senior Zoey Evora was the winner of the 2024 East Providence High School "Poetry Out Loud" contest. Evora later earned honorable mention notice at the state competition.

Portsmouth Abbey student wins 2024 state 'Poetry Out Loud' contest

With the recitation of "Say Grace" by Emily Jungmin Yoon, Jennifer Shon, a junior at the Portsmouth Abbey School, won the 19th Rhode State Council on the Arts "Poetry Out Loud" competition held in … more

3/29/24