Newport County

By SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard tried Tuesday to assure skeptical and frustrated U.S. senators that she is not attempting to cover up the branch’s failure to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the service academy in Connecticut. Admiral Linda L. Fagan said she is committed to “transparency […]

R.I. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is telling those who owe money on student loans to consolidate their loans so they can become eligible for federal student loan forgiveness. Whitehouse says those who have student loans through the Federal Family Education Loan program are eligible for the consolidation option until June 30th, 2024. He says currently, those […]

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) will implement summer service changes effective Saturday, June 15, 2024.  RIPTA makes regular service adjustments three times a year in response to seasonal changes and/or passenger use.   2024 Summer Service Changes These annual season changes are minor and include some trip time adjustments and the start of select […]

The Middletown Town Council recently approved a $42,000 contract to study beach erosion and develop solutions to preserve the town’s beaches. The study will be conducted by Coastal Systems Research & Planning and Crossman Engineering, and will focus on the areas most susceptible to erosion, including Second and Third beaches and Sachuest Bay area. The […]

The General Assembly voted on Monday to approve legislation from Senate Judiciary Chairwoman Dawn Euer and Rep. Brandon T. Voas to allow the Division of Taxation to send business owners’ tax compliance information to the Department of State in order to keep them apprised of their tax liability. The legislation (2024-S 3056, 2024-H 8055) now heads to […]

The City of Newport announced the reopening of the southern portion of the Cliff Walk on Monday, June 10, after repairs were made to a sink hole that had closed the section of walkway since April. The sink hole behind Miramar was discovered by a volunteer who notified the City of the potential hazard in […]

The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) reminds pregnant women and families with children ages birth to five, and Head Start programs are accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year.  “Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and Head Start puts them on that path to success,” said Governor Dan McKee. […]

Today, family and friends of Boys Town New England came together for the annual Community Block Party and Citizenship Ceremony at the scenic Bazarsky Campus in Portsmouth. The event highlighted the success of Boys Town New England’s innovative Family Home Program and foster services with an afternoon of family fun.  “I’m so proud of the […]

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Town of New Shoreham are announcing that the bottom of the staircase at the Edward S. Payne overlook at Mohegan Bluffs on Block Island will be closed to the public until further notice to protect public safety due to erosion causing a large drop at […]

by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current June 7, 2024 Finalizing the state’s annual spending plan is often a contentious, drawn-out process. Not this year. A $13.96 billion fiscal 2025 budget breezed through the Rhode Island House of Representatives Friday night. The 69-5 vote came after a mere 3 1/2 hours of discussion that included high […]

The Rhode Island Department of Natural Resources would be prohibited from issuing commercial leases for the Sapowet Marsh Management Area under legislation approved by the Tiverton House of Representatives on Thursday. Rep. John Edwards (D-R.I.) sponsored the measure. He stated that the original reason the area was purchased was to preserve this critical marsh area […]

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Dawn Euer to allow Jamestown to limit expansion of its water supply to within the boundaries of its public water district. “Jamestown is an island with limited fresh water sources that feed into the public water system,” said Senator Euer (D-District 13, […]

A new law will require the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals to work with the Department of Health to update the state’s statutes related to substance use disorders and emergency commitment for drug intoxication. Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Joshua Miller and Rep. Jennifer Boylan sponsored the legislation, […]

The national average cost for a gallon of gasoline dipped over the past week, reaching a price lower than at the same point in any of the previous two years. It’s the lowest they’ve been since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022, sending prices soaring well above normal levels for much of that year. Lackluster […]

The Rhode Island House of Representatives will consider the FY 25 state budget today, with no other legislative business expected to be conducted, officials announced Friday afternoon. The session is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. and will be televised by Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox channel 61, on i3Broadband channel […]

On Thursday, the Rhode Island Senate passed a bill sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Dawn Euer to give the General Assembly the authority to negotiate all undersea projects impacting areas over 25 acres, including transmission cables for offshore wind projects. The bill (2024-S 2811A) now heads to the House, where Rep. Tina Spears (D-Dist. […]

A bill proposed by a Barrington lawmaker would create a rebate program for electric leaf blowers in an effort to reduce air and noise pollution. Rep. Jennifer Boylan’s office says the proposal would allocate $250,000 in funding for the pilot program. It would be run by the Office of Energy Resources with the goal of […]

The Rhode Island General Assembly recently passed new legislation that aims to protect property owners from any surprises that may arise from buying property located on the coastline. The law, which was sponsored by state Sen. Victoria Gu and state Rep. Terri Cortvriend, requires all sellers of oceanfront property to clearly disclose any public access […]

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, traveled to Normandy, France, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which occurred on June 6, 1944.  Traveling as part of a bipartisan Congressional delegation, Senator Reed joined President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s King Charles III, […]

The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would regulate the distribution of kratom, a natural substance used to treat opioid addiction and other conditions. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act (2024-H 7231Aaa) would ban the adulteration of kratom with a dangerous non-kratom substance as to render the product injurious to a consumer. […]

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) officially announced today that it will not move forward with previously proposed service reductions, which were scheduled to go into effect on Saturday, June 15, 2024, as part of the Authority’s seasonal service adjustments. Christopher Durand, interim Chief Executive Officer, asked RIPTA’s Board of Directors not to act […]

Newport City Council will hold its next Regular Meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the City Council Chamber at Newport City Hall and is open to the public. Here’s a look at what’s on the docket;   CITY OF NEWPORT DOCKET FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING […]

by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island CurrentJune 5, 2024 Disagreement over a state bottle recycling program is as pervasive as the piles of recyclable bottles and cans littering Rhode Island streets, beaches and waterways. So it’s no surprise that controversy again clouded the bottle bill conversation Wednesday night.  Hours of debate unfolded in an airless second-floor […]

The Rhode Island House of Representatives has unanimously approved legislation that would allow for the construction of apartment buildings with three or four units. The legislation, which is sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman, aims to address the “missing middle” of Rhode Island’s housing market by making three- and four-unit dwellings subject to residential building […]