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The 54th Regiment of Foot will present will musket demonstrations at the Dr. Roderick Terry Centennial Celebration at Butts Hill Fort on Saturday, Aug. 19. (File photo)

100th anniversary of Fort Butts' rescue to be celebrated Saturday

PORTSMOUTH — The property where the largest remaining Revolutionary War fortification in southeastern New England now sits could have easily become house lots if a certain someone didn’t … more

8/14/23

Portsmouth residents Beth Shumway (left) and Virginia Lowney wade in the waters of the Sakonnet River as light rain starts coming down last Thursday afternoon, Aug. 10. “It makes you feel rejuvenated,” said Shumway, 89.

‘Jump in the river and you’ll feel better again’

PORTSMOUTH — Beth Shumway and Virginia Lowney didn’t want to give away their favorite swimming spot or neighborhood, which is somewhere along the Sakonnet River. more

By Jim McGaw | 8/14/23

Portsmouth Town Council members Len Katzman, Kevin Aguiar, and Daniela Abbott (from left) at Thursday night’s brief meeting. Council member David Gleason is out of frame.

The 3-minute Portsmouth Town Council meeting

PORTSMOUTH — It will take you longer to read this article than to view the video of the Town Council’s most recent meeting. On Thursday night, Aug. 10, the council called a … more

By Jim McGaw | 8/11/23

Bristol Theatre Company actors take a bow at the end of their performance of Disney's Descendants: The Musical. From left, Carlos (Dylan Pariseault), Jay (Abby Oliver), Mal (Lizzie Karberg), Evie (Layla Coelho), and King Ben (Logan Cabral)

Bristol Theatre Company back to the stage for first show in three years

Actors aged 7-18 performed at St. Philomena's School in Portsmouth for multiple shows between Thursday, Aug. 3 and Sunday, Aug. 6. more

8/10/23

Tiverton firefighters remove a window after a mill fire

Amendment to injured firefighters law stirs municipal budget concerns

According to Jordan Day, associate director of the R.I. League of Cities and Towns, this law could be a financial disaster for municipal budgets already straining under the pressure from, well, everything else. more

By Christy Nadalin | 8/10/23

A map rendering showing the proposed path of power lines from SouthCoast Wind up the Sakonnet River to connect in Somerset, Mass.

SouthCoast Wind files court challenge to R.I. regulators

An offshore wind developer wants a state supreme court justice to vacate a decision by state regulators to suspend their review of a Sakonnet River transmission line for the project. In a … more

By Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current | 8/10/23

The Glen Manor House, construction on which was completed in 1923, was designed by nationally known architect John Russell Pope, whose firm also designed the Jefferson Memorial, the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, and the National Archives and Records Administration building, all in Washington, D.C.

In Portsmouth: Glen Manor House celebrating 100 years

First it served as the summer residence for a prominent local farming family, and then for the Town of Portsmouth as a venue for weddings and other special events. more

8/9/23

According to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, since the state conducted a prescribed burn on Dutch Island in March 2022 (left), native grasses and milkweeds favored by pollinators (right) have replaced the tangle of invasive plants — such as autumn olive, honeysuckle, and bittersweet — that once dominated the habitat.

State to resume prescribed burns on Prudence Island

PORTSMOUTH — Depending on weather and wind conditions, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) plans on conducting low-severity prescribed burns on state lands on Prudence Island … more

8/8/23

Ten-year-old campers Warren Caldwell, James Hitchen and Grayson Bolt (from left), work together in figuring out a math problem leading to their next clue inside an “escape room” set up inside an eighth-grade learning center at Portsmouth Middle School. The activity was part of the Portsmouth Police Department’s Youth Leadership Camp.

In Portsmouth: Future leaders of America

PORTSMOUTH — James Hitchen, Grayson Bolt and Warren Caldwell spent part of Friday inside an eighth-grade classroom at Portsmouth Middle School, but not for summer school. Instead, they … more

By Jim McGaw | 8/8/23

Onlookers survey the scene in which a Bill’s Sales lumber truck overturned on a black Mercedes in an accident that involved two other vehicles on East Main Road Saturday afternoon.

Truck carrying lumber crushes car in Portsmouth crash

Two people were rushed to the hospital following a major collision involving a lumber truck and three vehicles that damaged a telephone pole and tied up traffic for hours on East Main Road on Saturday. more

8/6/23

Portsmouth Police Officers Jimmy Francis (foreground) and Mike Quinn battle a group of children in a game of tug of war during Portsmouth’s National Night Out at Glen Park Tuesday evening.

Police greet the public for National Night Out (photos)

PORTSMOUTH — Members of the Portsmouth Police Department came out in force Tuesday to greet the public for National Night Out at Glen Park. more

8/3/23

Paul De Luca, aka “Mr. Paul,” explains his educational chess program for young students in the conference room at the Leonard Brown House at Glen Farm. He’s hoping to revitalize his chess camp for kids ages 4-10 starting next Monday, Aug. 7. He’s also hosting an informational program for parents this Saturday at the Brown House.

He wants young kids to love chess as much as he does

PORTSMOUTH — Paul De Luca loves chess. Known as “Mr. Paul” to his students, he’s been playing the game for “30 to 40 years” and has been teaching it to … more

By Jim McGaw | 8/2/23

The AgInnovation Farm is a student-run program located at Cloverbud Range on Jepson Lane, Portsmouth.

Micro-clover pilot program to be planted in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — The Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD) recently received a grant award through the Urban and Community Conservation (UAC) Grant Initiative to model a unique … more

8/1/23

Nick Spaner at Fitton Field at the College of the Holy Cross, where he has committed to play Division 1 baseball.

Portsmouth’s Nick Spaner commits to play D-1 baseball

PORTSMOUTH — The recruiting process took 24 months. The first email was sent in June of 2021. The first conversation with a college coach took place in July of 2021. Two years … more

7/31/23

Aquapalooza, an unauthorized, social media-driven event scheduled for Saturday, July 29 at Potters Cove, Prudence Island, is necessitating the precautionary shellfishing closure, according to RIDEM. (File photo)

'Aquapalooza' forces preemptive closure of Prudence shellfishing area

PORTSMOUTH — Citing the risk of accidental and illicit discharge of sewage associated with the gathering of hundreds of boats off Prudence Island on Saturday, the R.I. Department of … more

7/27/23

Architect’s aerial rendering of what the Island Park OASIS Beach Volleyball would look like if built at the site of the former boomerang-shaped town landfill property. Park Avenue and Island Park Beach are at far right, with Mason Avenue just above the 13 proposed sand courts. (Boyds Lane is at the bottom, out of frame.) The three temporary structures between the parking lot and courts would be similar to trailers. The gravel entrance from Park Avenue features a turn-around to accommodate emergency vehicles.

Portsmouth gets first look at sand volleyball complex

PORTSMOUTH — A controversial plan to build a sand volleyball complex on top of the former town landfill got its first public airing last week before the Zoning Board of Review. more

By Jim McGaw | 7/27/23

Local youngsters make their way into RIGA Junior Am semifinals

SEEKONK — Youngsters have taken centerstage this week with the 104th edition of the Rhode Island Junior Amateur, which began with stroke play qualifying rounds in Westerly at Winnapaug Country … more

By Mike Rego | 7/26/23

At Town Hall last week, Gov. Daniel McKee discusses the Learn365RI Municipal Compact with (from left) Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy, Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr., and Holly Buresh and Capt. Jonathan Kabak of Oliver Hazard Perry.

An education under sail in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — By this time next year, the town hopes to have a group of local students working toward improving their reading, math scores and school attendance — all while aboard a … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/26/23

Real estate values resume their upward trend

After pausing for a few months in the first three months of this year, East Bay residential real estate values show a resumptive trend of increasing values. With one rare exception, an analysis of … more

By Douglas Gablinske | 7/25/23

Architectural rendering of what the new-and-improved, adaptive and inclusive playground off Turnpike Avenue will look like.

Group makes final push for Portsmouth playground funds

It was just a little over a year ago when the nonprofit Four Hearts Foundation started fund-raising for a new-and-improved playground to be built on Turnpike Avenue. more

By Jim McGaw | 7/25/23

The Portsmouth Dog Park Committee is seeking volunteer members to support the maintenance of and improvements to the park.

Volunteers sought for various Portsmouth town committees

PORTSMOUTH — Have a special area of expertise and some extra time on your hands? If so, you may want to consider volunteering to serve as a member of a town committee. The Town Council is … more

7/21/23

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan recommends that the town develop five courts for pickleball, the facilities for which don’t currently exist. These abandoned basketball courts at Elmhurst Park were first targeted for a pickleball complex in 2021, but the town failed to win a matching state recreation development grant to make it happen.

Portsmouth gets mixed grades on recreational facilities

PORTSMOUTH — The Town of Portsmouth is doing a decent job in providing and maintaining its outdoor recreational facilities, but lags behind other similar communities when it comes to … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/19/23

Stephen Luce, chairman of the Melville Park Committee, inspects one of the smaller ponds at Melville Park in October 2022. Luce recently received permission from the Town Council to rename the 3/4-mile stream that runs through the park as Matapurcetti Brook.

In Portsmouth: Melville Park stream finally gets a name

PORTSMOUTH — Since he took over the reigns of the Melville Park Committee, Stephen Luce has wanted to find some way to pay tribute to the indigenous people who once roamed this property that … more

By Jim McGaw | 7/14/23

RISPCA offers reward for information on abandoned guinea pigs

EAST PROVIDENCE — Two hikers discovered a total of 42 guinea pigs abandoned at the Browning Mill Pond Area off of Arcadia Road in Exeter on Tuesday, July 12. The hikers, along with two … more

7/14/23

Aerial view of one of the five wind turbines 3.8 miles southeast of Block Island generating electricity at the Block Island Wind Farm. An application for a separate wind farm project, SouthCoast Wind Farm, has been put on hold after state regulators questioned its economic viability.

State presses pause on SouthCoast Wind review

It doesn’t make sense to review a project application when there’s no money to fund it. So concluded state energy regulators, who on Thursday opted to pause their review of an … more

By Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current | 7/14/23