June 2017

The House today approved a resolution sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D – Distrct 75, Newport) to form a special legislative commission dedicated to fostering the growth of Rhode Island’s tourism industry. The creation of this commission comes on the heels of a previous special commission that recently wrapped up two years of work […]

Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) has selected two local high school seniors to receive the fourth annual Environmental Leadership Award (ELA) for the 2016-2017 school year. The scholarship supports youth leaders on Aquidneck Island who inspire our community by promoting land conservation and environmentalism through their continued efforts. From this year’s competitive applicant group, ALT has […]

Century 21 Topsail Realty has come onboard as title sponsor for the inaugural Mt. Hope Bridge 5K. This first-ever road race will take place on Saturday, August 12th. Runners and walkers will follow a 3.1 mile course starting in Portsmouth near the base of the Mt. Hope Bridge, running across the bridge to Ferry Road in […]

Francis J. Busher, 74, of Portsmouth passed away on Friday, June 16, 2017, after a three year battle with cancer. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Deborah H. Busher. Frank was predeceased by his parents Richard Cosgrove Busher and Helene LaFramboise Busher. He is survived by his brother, Richard Cosgrove Busher, Jr. (Marilyn Andersen) […]

Veronica “Ronnie” Devlin, 88, of Middletown, RI, died peacefully on Friday, June 16, 2017. She was the wife of the late H. James Devlin. Born in Newport on September 17, 1928, she was the daughter of Jean (Hewitt) and Alfred J. King and the sister of Dorothy Van Doorn and Eleanor Elliott. Ronnie attended Rogers […]

Michael Garman, an eighth grader at Cluny School in Newport, won first place in the 7th annual Rhode Island Gandhi Essay Contest sponsored by the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island. Garman’s essay reads in part,  “To me, ‘real peace’ is more than merely the end of war. It […]

Pedro Jimenez-Rodriguez, 41, of Newport, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to a plea agreement filed in this matter, the government will recommend a term of imprisonment of 72 months when Jimenez-Rodriguez is sentenced […]

A dead whale was spotted floating off of Brenton Reef and later onshore at Beavertail State Park on Friday, June 16th. The whale, which was photographed floating near Brenton Reef on Friday morning and very close to the shore at Beavertail State Park on Friday afternoon, is 31-feet in length and has landed at Beavertail […]

27 students from Newport County have been named to the Spring 2017 Dean’s List at Roger Williams University in Bristol, according to information released by Roger Williams University. Full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a GPA of 3.4 or higher are placed on the Dean’s List that semester. The […]

Work on at least one of the bridges connected to Aquidneck Island is expected to be completed by the end of this week. The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) has announced that the driving surface of Mt. Hope’s bridge deck that began mid-March is expected to be complete by Friday, June 23. This work […]

Judith (Connolly) Smeltz, 71, of Newport died Friday, June 16, 2017, surrounded by her loving family, at home in Newport. Ms. Smeltz was born June 4, 1946 in South Boston, MA. She is the daughter of the late John Michael and the late Helen (Curran) Connolly. Judy was a very loving, caring and compassionate mother, […]

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced today that on Saturday, June 17, 2017, it will move its bus stops off America’s Cup Avenue and back into the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center. This move comes as progress continues on the construction project to repair and improve the exterior passenger and pedestrian center of […]