With the sold-out Newport Jazz Festival getting underway Friday at Fort Adams State Park, Newport Police are urging drivers to plan ahead for significant traffic congestion throughout the weekend. The festival runs Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 1. Heavy traffic on Harrison Avenue and the roads surrounding Fort Adams is expected beginning at 8 […]
Police & Fire
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U.S. Marshals arrest Newport shooting suspect in Virginia
A suspect wanted in connection with a July 19 double shooting near Park Holm in Newport was arrested Wednesday morning in Virginia by U.S. Marshals, police announced. Tyquan Johnson, 19, was taken into custody at approximately 8:30 a.m. at an address on Chestnut Avenue in Newport News, Va., by members of the U.S. Marshals Capital […]
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Four arrested, 24 citations issued during law enforcement operation at Aquapalooza in Portsmouth
Four people were arrested and 24 citations issued during a multi-agency law enforcement operation at the 2026 Aquapalooza event held Saturday at Potter’s Cove, the Portsmouth Police Department announced Monday. Officers arrested Robinson Alves, 23, of Fall River, Mass., and Justin Taymes, 39, also of Fall River, each on charges of operating a watercraft while […]
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Newport man dies after alleged drunk driver struck him in Memorial Boulevard crosswalk; DUI charge upgraded
A Newport man struck by an alleged drunk driver while crossing Memorial Boulevard in a motorized mobility scooter earlier this week has died, Newport Police announced Friday. John Miles, of 4 Chapel Terrace, Newport, was killed in the crash that occurred at approximately 10:39 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Memorial Boulevard and Chapel Street. […]
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Newport Police identify suspect, seek second individual in July 19 Park Holm double shooting
Newport Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Tyquan Johnson, date of birth January 14, 2007, in connection with the double shooting that occurred July 19 in the Park Holm area near Truman Road, and are also seeking to identify a second individual connected to the incident. Johnson is wanted on charges of felony assault […]
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Newport Police issue traffic advisory for Folk Festival weekend; Harrison Avenue northbound lane closed to vehicles daily
Newport Police have issued a traffic advisory for the sold-out Newport Folk Festival, running Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26, at Fort Adams State Park, with road closures and traffic pattern changes in effect each day. Beginning at 8 a.m. daily, the northbound lane of Harrison Avenue between the Fort Adams entrance and the […]
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Newport police announce July 4 parking ban for fireworks display
The Newport Police Department has announced a parking ban for Saturday, July 4, to ease traffic congestion around the city’s annual fireworks display. No parking will be allowed on West Narragansett Avenue between Thames Street and Marchant Street; Washington Street between Bridge Street and Gladys Carr Bolhouse Road (the Causeway); and Memorial Boulevard from Bellevue […]
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South Kingstown police investigating fatal motorcycle crash on Route 1
A 28-year-old North Kingstown man died in a single-motorcycle crash on Route 1 on Tuesday night, the South Kingstown Police Department said. Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. on June 16 to a report of a motorcycle crash on Route 1 northbound, south of Torrey Road. They found a single motorcycle involved in the crash, and […]
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Saunderstown man charged with boating under the influence after Jamestown crash
A Saunderstown man faces charges of operating a watercraft under the influence after his boat struck a moored vessel off East Ferry on Friday night, ejecting his passenger into the water, the Jamestown Police Department said. Police received an open 911 call at about 10:39 p.m. on June 12 that, based on GPS coordinates, appeared […]
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Police arrest nine, deploy pepper spray after about 1,200 gather at Sachuest Beach
Police arrested nine people and deployed pepper spray Tuesday afternoon after a gathering of approximately 1,200 high school-aged individuals at Sachuest (Second) Beach turned disorderly, the Middletown Police Department said. A Newport police officer assisting with the response was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot during the dispersal and was transported to Newport […]
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Woman in Jamestown Police custody escapes from Newport Hospital, later found in North Kingstown
A woman in the custody of the Jamestown Police Department escaped from Newport Hospital on Monday morning after slipping out of her handcuffs, according to a statement from the department. At approximately 8:20 a.m., the woman reported feeling ill while officers were preparing to transport her to Newport District Court for an arraignment on a […]
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Middletown police department earns third state reaccreditation
The Middletown Police Department has received its third reaccreditation from the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission, the department announced Thursday. The reaccreditation follows a comprehensive review of the department’s policies, procedures, training and operations, measured against 230 standards established by RIPAC. Those standards cover administration, personnel, operations, prisoner services and technical support functions. Officer Jean […]
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16 motorists arrested for impaired driving during regional enforcement campaign on parade day
A regional law enforcement campaign targeting impaired drivers on Saint Patrick’s Day Parade day resulted in 16 arrests across Aquidneck Island and South County, Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy announced Monday. Officers from the Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, Jamestown, North Kingstown, South Kingstown and Narragansett police departments, along with Rhode Island State Police, participated in […]
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Newport man arrested on illegal weapons charges after threatening social media posts
Rhode Island State Police arrested a Newport man Thursday on multiple illegal weapons charges after he allegedly made threats of violence on social media, authorities said. Alexander Bestoso, 27, of 3 Morgan St., was taken into custody after state police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms executed a search warrant at his home […]
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Sprawling investigation finds decades of sexual abuse among Catholic priests in Rhode Island
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Catholic priests in Rhode Island preyed on hundreds of children for decades, and were protected by bishops more concerned with the church’s reputation than the victims, according to a new report on clergy sexual abuse that echoes findings elsewhere. The report, released Wednesday by Attorney General Peter […]
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Multiple law enforcement agencies to target impaired drivers during Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Local and state law enforcement agencies across Aquidneck Island and South County will join forces March 14 for a high-visibility impaired driving enforcement campaign coinciding with the 70th Annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade steps off at 11 a.m. from Newport City Hall, running through Washington Square, down Thames Street and ending at […]
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Salve Regina student dies of carbon monoxide poisoning in snow-covered vehicle during blizzard
A 21-year-old Salve Regina University student died Monday evening from carbon monoxide poisoning after being found unconscious inside a vehicle that was covered in snow, according to the Newport Police Department. Newport Police and Fire Departments responded to a Bellevue Avenue parking lot at about 7:20 p.m. on February 23 to check on a person […]
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Middletown Fire Department conducts rope and water rescue at Purgatory Chasm
The Middletown Fire Department conducted a rope and water rescue at Purgatory Chasm on Saturday after an individual was found in distress in the water near the chasm, according to a press release from Fire Chief Robert J. McCall. At approximately 10:05 a.m., Middletown Fire and Police Dispatch began receiving 911 calls reporting the individual […]
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Castle Hill Inn fire under investigation; restaurant could reopen ‘in coming months,’ Newport Restaurant Group says
Updated Feb. 6 at 3:25 p.m. The Newport Restaurant Group said Friday afternoon that damage from the overnight fire at Castle Hill Inn was “significant” but expressed confidence that the iconic Ocean Drive property would be restored. “We are in the process of assessing the damage from last night’s fire. While significant, we are confident […]
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Underwater drone catches fire on Route 24 in Tiverton; lithium-ion batteries prompt HazMat response
Tiverton fire and police responded Tuesday afternoon to the Route 24 southbound on-ramp from Main Road for a reported vehicle fire that turned out to be a 12-foot underwater drone on a trailer. Crews arrived at approximately 2:53 p.m. and found the drone actively on fire, according to a press release from the Tiverton Fire […]
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Coast Guard suspends search for people missing from fishing vessel that sank off Massachusetts
By MICHAEL CASEY, RODRIQUE NGOWI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The search for survivors on a commercial fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Massachusetts with seven aboard has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday. The Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday after receiving […]
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Middletown woman charged with DUI after striking marked Newport police vehicle, fleeing scene
A 38-year-old Middletown woman is facing DUI and hit-and-run charges after allegedly striking a marked Newport police vehicle early Saturday morning and fleeing the scene, according to a press release from the Newport Police Department. The incident occurred at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Jan. 18 at the intersection of Eustis Avenue and Bliss Road, where […]
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Middletown father and son arrested on child sex assault charges
A father and son were arrested Thursday morning on charges related to a sexual assault investigation, according to the Middletown Police Department. Members of the Middletown Police Department, with assistance from the Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force, executed a court-authorized search warrant at 33 Beacon St. at approximately 6:30 a.m. as part […]
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Fire that killed 10 at an assisted living facility prompts Massachusetts to enact safety reforms
By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Pres BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is enacting a series of safety reforms at assisted living facilities including increased inspections and better access to records following a fire last year that killed 10 residents, the governor announced Monday. The recommendations, detailed in a report from the Assisted Living Residents or ARL commission […]
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Westerly firefighters rescue a yellow Lab from an icy pond on New Year’s Day
WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — A yellow Labrador out for a walk with his owner in Rhode Island had to be rescued by firefighters on New Year’s Day after he wandered onto a thin layer of ice covering a pond and fell through the center. According to the Misquamicut Fire Department, volunteer firefighters and other emergency […]