WESTERLY — For Westerly police recruits David F. Fernandes, Dylan P. Turner and Mitchell F. Carrier, Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be one of celebration.
KINGSTON — News of the arrival in North America of a non-native insect with the terrifying colloquial name of "murder hornet" has alarmed residents around the country. But a University of Rhode Island entomologist said there is little reason for Rhode Islanders to worry about them.
Volunteers placed 1,000 physically distanced flags on Boston Common for Memorial Day while beaches, barbers and hair salons reopen in Massachusetts and two state beaches in Rhode Island open, all with restrictions.
PROVIDENCE — Elected officials, businesses and others are depending on coronavirus testing and infection-rate data as states reopen so that they will know if a second wave of contagion is coming — and whether another round of stay-at-home orders or closings might be needed.
BOSTON (AP) — Religious leaders are taking steps to protect their congregations as services resume in Massachusetts and Vermont. An iconic Connecticut pizza shop is adding outdoor dining as part of a plan to aid businesses impacted by the coronavirus.
WESTERLY — Over time, Lido J. Mochetti pieced together the story of the father he never knew, but a surprise phone call he received a few years ago would animate the tale of military valor and provide an important keepsake.
KINGSTON — The University of Rhode Island Couple and Family Therapy Clinic is offering support for parents, children, adolescents, couples and individuals facing the challenges of adjusting to the demands brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
BOSTON (AP) — Major hospitals in Maine's largest city experienced an uptick in coronavirus hospitalizations; Roman Catholics in New Hampshire can begin receiving Holy Communion again in parishes that follow certain safety guidelines; Vermont’s largest annual event has been canceled for the f…
PORTLAND, Maine — Energy demand is down because of the pandemic, but utility bills left unpaid by tens of thousands of people who lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic could drive electricity prices upward in some areas in coming months.
WESTERLY — Honey Dew Donuts, through its Honey Dew Family Foundation, has donated 100 $10 gift cards to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at Immaculate Conception Church.
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump played golf at one of his courses Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged U.S. states to reopen after coronavirus-related lockdowns. Yet many Americans remained cautious as the number of confirmed cases nationwide passed 1.6 million.
WESTERLY — The League of Women Voters of South County has canceled its tea to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the women's right to vote. The tea had been rescheduled for Aug. 22 from its original date in April.
WESTERLY
WESTERLY — School officials say sharing a purchasing agent with the town is cumbersome and a superfluous expense, but their counterparts on the town side of local government say the joint approach was agreed to and works just fine for them.
Rhode Island is eyeing a broad reopening of its virus-shuttered economy starting June 1.
BOSTON — The Massachusetts unemployment rate soared to 15.1% in April — up from about 2.8% in March — as the state’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus shuttered wide swaths of the economy, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday.
WESTERLY — Westerly Hospital will offer suicide prevention training via a 90-minute Zoom webinar. The training covers the evidence-based QPR suicide prevention program (QPR stands for question, persuade and refer). Sessions will be held the first and second Tuesday of the month from 6 to 7:3…
Stop & Shop’s Grow & Learn Program teaches children how to grow vegetables and herbs at no cost. In Rhode Island from June 8 to 15 and in Connecticut from May 29 to June 24, or while supplies last, Stop & Shop will be giving away free seed pods and activity books to customers acr…
Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, pretty much everything to do around the region has been canceled. Until the public health crisis passes, here’s a list of social service agencies and other local important organizations and their statuses.
WESTERLY — Town and education officials are working together to determine the needs of programs at the Tower Street School Community Center now that the School Committee has decided to cut ties with the building.
KINGSTON — Few elements of society are flourishing during the COVID19 pandemic, but a University of Rhode Island agriculture researcher said that one of the few exceptions is small agricultural businesses. Not only are existing small farms experiencing record growth, many new start-up farms …
The coronavirus pandemic that forced the shutdown of businesses across Rhode Island sent the state’s unemployment rate soaring to 17% in April, the state Department of Labor and Training announced Thursday.
WESTERLY — A 57-year-old local man is facing charges after he allegedly admitted to producing two pipe bombs found in town recently, including one discovered by a pest control contractor at a home on the corner of Turtleback Road Wednesday.
STONINGTON — Efforts to locate a missing Stonington woman on Thursday led to the discovery of a body along the Connecticut side of the Pawcatuck River.
WESTERLY — Those who are not following state orders or town regulations over Memorial Day weekend can expect to find themselves dealing with an officer, Lacey said.
BOSTON (AP) — The number of individuals in Massachusetts diagnosed with confirmed cases of COVID-19 surged past 90,000 on Thursday as the state reported more than 1,100 new cases.
WESTERLY — Rates for users of the municipal sewer and water systems will remain the same under 2020-21 budgets approved by the Town Council this week.
Rhode Island communities are making plans to open local beaches shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic as Memorial Day weekend approaches.
Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday that churches and houses of worship will be allowed to re-open next weekend, with attendance limited to 25 percent of their typical capacity.
BOSTON (AP) — The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Massachusetts has surged past 6,000 as the state’s economy begins to reopen.
WESTERLY — The weather forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Monday calls for temperatures in the mid-60s to 70s — conditions that typically draw big crowds to Misquamicut during Memorial Day weekend.
Rhode Island introduced a smartphone app Tuesday that state officials say could help public health workers trace the contacts of COVID-19 patients and connect them to testing and other resources.
BOSTON (AP) — Boston will move cautiously to avoid a second shutdown as the state begins to reopen, Mayor Marty Walsh said at a Tuesday press conference.
KINGSTON — The University of Rhode has announced the appointment of NASA scientist Paula S. Bontempi as dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography.
The new state restrictions on restaurants and bars to fight the coronavirus pandemic have prevented local residents from going out to eat. But many South County establishments are still serving via curbside takeout and delivery. Find out the status of your favorite local eatery by clicking o…
WESTERLY — Under a recently released plan, members of the Westerly High School Class of 2020 will have the opportunity to watch a graduation video on the big screen in Misquamicut, where drive-in movies play during the summer, or enjoy a live stream of the video from the comfort of their homes.
Rhode Island is continuing to emerge from its pandemic-induced slumber, as some restaurants began offering outdoor dining Monday and Gov. Gina Raimondo announced that two state beaches will reopen on Memorial Day.
WESTERLY — A 23-year-old Charlestown man is facing charges after the police said he narrowly missed driving head-on into a home at 15 Sleepy Hollow Court early Monday morning while driving under the influence of acid.
Updated: May 19, 10:30 a.m.
PROVIDENCE — Gas prices are cheaper for Memorial Day than they've been in nearly 20 years, but it is not likely to lead to an increase in travel over the holiday weekend.
STONINGTON — The first quarter of 2020 was shaping up to be one of the best that Tiger LeBelle had seen in his 40 years in the industry.
KINGSTON — Joe Verrier is the kind of history teacher you’d want in class.
Officials from a Rhode Island college are apologizing after students were seen gathering in large groups without masks over the weekend, while Connecticut closed several parks Sunday because they reached maximum capacity.
PROVIDENCE — Write Rhode Island’s flash non-fiction writing project, Our Lives Now, is open to Rhode Island students in grades 7 to 12.
LAWRENCE + MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
WESTERLY — The annual Pawcatuck River Duck Race, one of the region's beloved annual events, has officially been canceled, according to a statement from Lisa Konicki, president of the Ocean Community Chamber Foundation, the organization that sponsors the event.
MYSTIC — For local children who have been inside and at home since mid-March, isolated from school chums and best buddies due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus epidemic, there is a glimmer of hope.
WESTERLY — With the level of COVID-19 activity trailing off, at least for now, Westerly Hospital has resumed non-critical surgeries and medical procedures.