CHARLESTOWN — Voters in Charlestown will head to the polls Monday to decide on a $15.8 million municipal spending plan for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1.
With warmer weather here, and with Rhode Island still a high-incidence state for Lyme disease, the Rhode Island Departments of Health and Environmental Management are urging people to take precautions to prevent tick bites when outdoors.
CAROLINA — The Richmond Democratic Town Committee will host a conversation with state Rep. Megan Cotter on Saturday, June 3, at the Clark Memorial Library, 7 Pinehurst Drive.
CHARLESTOWN — The Charlestown Police Department announced last week that new officers Lexus Falcone and John Griffin graduated from the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy on May 26.
PROVIDENCE — A seasonal surge heading into Memorial Day weekend has led to a rise in prices at the gas pump to kick-off summer.
PROVIDENCE — School One and Write Rhode Island are hosting a Creative Writing Institute for students in grades 7-12. The institute will be held at School One, 220 University Ave., Providence, Monday to Friday, July 31 to Aug. 4.
WESTERLY
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The annual South Kingstown Memorial Day Ceremony and Wreath Laying Service will be held on Monday, May 29, at 10:30 a.m., at Saugatucket Park, 101 High St.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals," commonly referred to as PFAS, saying they have caused significant harm to the state's residents and natural resources. Neronha faulted the companies for engaging in what he described as “a massive and widespread campaign to knowingly deceive the public." The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other states have taken similar legal action, including Massachusetts. Rhode Island’s General Assembly recently prohibited food packaging containing PFAS.
Rhode Island police have identified the two people killed by a man in the town of Johnston who was later shot to death by officers. Police said Thursday that the body of 83-year-old Janet Harrison, the mother of suspect 52-year-old James Harrison, was found in her home Wednesday morning. Police also found the body of a neighbor, 44-year-old Thomas May, in his garage. May's 15-year-old daughter was also shot, but is expected to survive. After fleeing the home Harrison was spotted by police in neighboring Cranston where he was shot by officers when he got out of his vehicle with a gun.
When making plans to enjoy the unofficial kick-off to summer on Memorial Day weekend, make sure to buckle up or be ready to receive a ticket.
CHARLESTOWN — Several parcels of town-owned open space in Charlestown should be donated or sold, the Conservation Commission said in its latest annual report to the Town Council.
CHARLESTOWN — The Town Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. June 1 at Town Hall to discuss and possibly act on proposed zoning ordinance amendments that would specify subdivision options for cluster and conservation development in town.
PROVIDENCE — The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Rhode Island dropped two cents this week despite mild weather and a positive economic forecast due in part to less-than-expected demand and low oil prices.
WESTERLY
Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients
Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee has signed a bill into law that would let state funds be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions. The signing ceremony was held Thursday almost immediately after the Rhode Island Senate approved the measure. The 24-12 vote followed less than an hour of debate. The democratic governor says he is proud to sign the bill and include related funding in his state budget proposal. Opponents say the state shouldn’t require state taxpayers to cover the cost of abortions.
PROVIDENCE — Drivers in the northeast could benefit from stable prices heading into Memorial Day weekend as gasoline prices dropped nationwide over the past week despite a rise in demand.
WARREN — A nearly 150-year-old stained-glass church window that depicts a dark-skinned Jesus Christ interacting with women in New Testament scenes has stirred up questions about race, Rhode Island’s role in the slave trade and the place of women in 19th century New England society.
WESTERLY
RICHMOND — The 2023 SkillsUSA National Championship in June is the only thing standing between Chariho Tech senior Trey Lazauskas and the title of best high school welder in the country.
WESTERLY — The Westerly College Club is now accepting applications for scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year. Applicants must reside in Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton, Stonington or North Stonington and be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year at an accredited four…
RICHMOND — Members of the Chariho School Committee have ratified a three-year teachers contract that will extend retroactively from the start of the 2022-23 school year, but not before concerns from many of the committee’s newest members regarding the health benefits provided and the timing …
CHARLESTOWN — An ordinance to regulate the sale of marijuana in Charlestown is getting some zoning changes, including a requirement for a buffer between any cannabis store and residential property.
From plant sales to educational programs, the region's garden clubs have sprung to life this spring and will offer a variety of offerings in the coming weeks.
A coalition of attorneys general from 16 states including both Rhode Island and Connecticut have joined together in an effort to “sound the alarm” on failing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policies allowing excessive microfiber plastic emissions into the world’s oceans.
PROVIDENCE — The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Rhode Island is down 5 cents this week and market volatility could allow the trend to continue through much of May.
DREXEL HILL, Pa. — In the hours before he’s due at Upper Darby High School, senior Khalid Doulat has time to say prayers, help his mother or prepare for track practice.
LAWRENCE + MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
WESTERLY
CHARLESTOWN — With an $18,000 payment, Charlestown has settled a billing dispute with the town’s audit firm that had the potential to head to court.
CHARLESTOWN — The town’s hearing on its proposed $15.82 million municipal budget for 2023-24 on Monday drew just one speaker and was over in less than 10 minutes.
PROVIDENCE — Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown) and Rep. Tina Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown, New Shoreham) are sponsoring legislation to increase the Medicaid rate of reimbursement for ambulance services.
CHARLESTOWN — The town continues to monitor a proposed railway capacity study for part of the Northeast Corridor, six years after strong opposition halted plans for a new high speed rail line in Charlestown and neighboring communities.
First came the good news. After taking classes at a community college, Ricki Korba was admitted to California State University, Bakersfield, as a transfer student. But when she logged on to her student account, she got a gut punch: Most of her previous classes wouldn’t count.
PORTLAND, Maine — The U.S. Supreme Court will take up the subject of who pays for workers who gather valuable data aboard commercial fishing boats.
PROVIDENCE — The cost for a gallon of gasoline has dropped a penny in Rhode Island and a nickel nationwide, according to a AAA, and if trends continue it could provide added relief for motorists in coming weeks.
Paramedics summoned to an Arizona retirement community last summer found an 80-year-old woman slumped inside her mobile home, enveloped in the suffocating 99-degree heat she suffered for days after her air conditioner broke down. Efforts to revive her failed, and her death was ruled environm…
SALAMANCA, N.Y. — The profile of a Native American man, a braid trailing down and feather jutting up, is tiled into a high school hallway, dyed into the weight room carpet and laid into the turf of the football field at Salamanca city schools.
WESTERLY
CHARLESTOWN — Advertisements aimed at applicants to be the next administrator for Charlestown will say that the job comes with a salary of between $115,000 and $130,000, depending on experience.
NEW YORK — With Florida legislators barring even the mention of being gay in classrooms and similar restrictions under consideration in other states, a report released Monday says books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans at public schools and librarie…
PROVIDENCE — The average price for a gallon of gasoline has climbed 8 cents in Rhode Island over the past week, but officials said a drop in international oil prices may bring relief to consumers in the coming weeks.
Trade cards were the business cards of the mid- to late-1800s and were used to advertise products and businesses, which today makes them highly desired by collectors.
At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to end her life using New Jersey’s law that allows medically assisted suicide — but she was bedbound, too sick to travel.
WESTERLY
RICHMOND — When Chariho High School senior Alanna Healy walked down the hallway into the entrance foyer Wednesday morning after being called to the main office, she was surprised to find a crowd of people waiting for her that included district administrators and her parents, Dave and Sue, sm…
SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The South Kingstown 300th Anniversary Committee will hold a town-wide cleanup, followed by a mural unveiling on Saturday, April 22. The clean-up will begin with volunteers arriving at 8:45 a.m. and working at nine sites until 12:30 p.m.
PROVIDENCE — Gas prices have climbed in Rhode Island in recent weeks as the price of crude oil has been on the rise, but the state’s price still remains 25 cents below the national average.
CHARLESTOWN — A revised request for proposals for new commercial design standards for Charlestown has received a unanimous approval from the Town Council.
WASHINGTON — It’s that time of year when throngs of taxpayers are buckling down to file their income tax returns before Tuesday’s filing deadline. Many often pay to use software from private companies such as Intuit and H&R Block.
LAWRENCE + MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
WESTERLY