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Town by town, virus surge continues — the local count

Led by East Providence with 49, then Barrington with 17, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise in the East Bay, as in the rest of Rhode Island. Next door in Westport there … more

4/10/20

Brody, now 10 weeks old, sits atop one of the painted rocks at Mt. Hope High School, where he will be frequently be reporting for duty as a comfort/therapy (once schools reopen to students).

Officer Brody, reporting for duty in Bristol

Earlier this week Bristol welcomed the youngest, smallest and by far cutest officer in the history of the town’s police force. Brody, a 10-week-old chocolate labrador retriever, was formally … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/9/20

Asher Schofield bags T-shirts for delivery Thursday afternoon. His Frog and Toad store has sold more than 5,000 of them so far.

Knock it Off! Warren T-shirt campaign is a huge hit

Knock it off! Shut it down! Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo’s catch phrases, a plea to residents to stay inside, hunker down and help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, have … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/9/20

DEM, Marine association provides boating community with virus guidelines

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association last week issued the following guidance regarding the safe operation of … more

4/9/20

Gov. Gina Raimondo talks about a new executive order that authorizes fines for those not following the state's isolation or home quarantine directives.

State adds teeth (fines) to quarantine measures; governor says surge is weeks away

The State of Rhode Island is getting more serious about its orders for people to stay in isolation or self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier today, Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/9/20

Riverside woman cited for texting while driving

Barrington police responded to a car accident on Washington Road on Tuesday, March 31 at about 8:30 p.m. Police said a Riverside resident was driving north on Washington Road when her vehicle … more

4/9/20

In a video still from an online Palm Sunday service, Lydia DeAngelo leads a brief processional from the chapel to the home of her mother, Jennifer Pedrick (read), rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Local churches make a spiritual connection through cyberspace

PORTSMOUTH — It’s Holy Week, which normally means local churches are packed with parishioners from Palm Sunday through Easter. But inside the historic chapel at St. Mary’s … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/9/20

Bernie Lambrese (left) takes delivery from Paul Mancieri of Leo’s.

Bristol volunteers and donors are sending 5-star meals to hospital workers

The effort started a couple of weeks age, when Bristol resident Bernie Lambrese, a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, saw a news story about an effort in Washington, D.C. to get delicious meals to … more

By Christy Nadalin | 4/9/20

The Town Crier leads the 2019 Bristol Fourth of July Parade.

Bristol scaling down Fourth parade, most events are postponed

Here’s what they know so far … There is a 2020 chief marshal for the nation’s oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration, but that person will not be announced until the … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/9/20

Governor Raimondo announces 220 more coronavirus cases, 143 people now in the hospital at her April 8 briefing.

Raimondo: Five more die, cases in ‘rapid spread’

Rhode Island is at a “big clip of increase … in the rapid spread phase” of the coronavirus outbreak, Governor Gina Raimondo said at her daily briefing Wednesday (2:30 p.m. today), … more

By Bruce Burdett | 4/8/20

Friends do a birthday drive-by for Alan Leach on Friday.

A birthday surprise for their middle school buddy

Not even a global pandemic could rain on Alan Leach’s parade Friday night. Though the 14-year-old was disappointed he could not celebrate his birthday like usual — getting ice cream … more

By Kristen Ray | 4/8/20

East Providence Council approves extension of mayor’s emergency executive authority

EAST PROVIDENCE — The first virtual meeting of the City Council due to restrictions imposed on gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly did not go without a hitch, but the body was … more

By Mike Rego | 4/8/20

Chicken coop catches fire on Maple Avenue in Barrington

A chicken coop on Maple Avenue caught fire early Saturday morning, April 4. Barrington firefighters and police officers responded to the blaze quickly. The fire department was able to extinguish … more

4/8/20

Carley Peckham, who now serves as full-time manager, grew up at the greenhouse her parents, Rick and Laura Peckham, own. "I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she says.

No stopping planting season

The early morning clouds had given way to blue skies Saturday afternoon, and inside Little Compton’s Peckham’s Greenhouse was blooming with early spring life. In previous weekends, … more

Kristen Ray | 4/8/20

Barrington Front Porch Project brings smiles and lifts spirits

Like everyone, Devon McWilliams has been mostly stuck inside for weeks. Aside from short strolls with her husband and son, or a few stretches outside in the yard when the weather has been tolerable, … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/8/20

Owner Phil Kinder (right) and Kirby Dwyer, at the finishing stage of constructing shield masks, which are first sanitized, and then boxed up for delivery to Rhode Island hospitals.

Bristol businesses churning out thousands of shield masks

Like everyone else, Phil Kinder has been both captivated and impacted by the coronavirus taking over all aspects of daily life. And he heard the call, day after day, from state leaders asking private … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/3/20

Gov. Gina Raimondo (right) speaks during Friday's coronavirus briefing.

State encourages people to wear cloth-based face coverings in public

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Islanders are now being encouraged by the state to wear cloth-based face coverings in public, Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the R.I. Department of Health, said … more

By Jim McGaw | 4/3/20

Food is available to Barrington residents in need.

Food available for Barrington residents in need

Help is available for residents in need. Any Barrington residents facing an emergency and needing food should call the Town of Barrington's coronavirus hotline at 401-247-1900 ext. … more

4/3/20

Bristol Police: Residents report kids playing, groups gathering, all over town

The Bristol Police log saw a noticeable increase in residents calling to report their neighbors or strangers gathering, playing or congregating in public. Police officers also arrested a Barrington … more

4/3/20

Colin Cook competes at the recent World Adaptive Surfing Championships in California.

Cook wins at world Adaptive Surfing Championships

TIVERTON — Going on five years since a large tiger shark took much of his left leg, Tiverton surfer Colin Cook found himself standing atop a California medal podium two weekends ago, being … more

By Bruce Burdett | 4/3/20

Gov. Gina Raimondo and her husband, Andy Moffit, adopted a casual tone to talk to Rhode Island children on Thursday.

Governor talks to kids, reveals Easter Bunny is an ‘essential worker’

Gov. Gina Raimondo debuted a new look, new format and new co-star in her Thursday coronavirus briefing, and she steered the hour-long session to a new audience — kids. The governor and her … more

By Scott Pickering | 4/2/20

Virus cases continue to rise in RI: April 2 town-by-town numbers

On a day that saw 91 new coronavirus cases in Rhode Island, for a total of 657, cases in East Bay towns continue to rise as well. The Thursday, April 2, town-by town numbers, as reported by the RI … more

4/2/20

Search for new BCWA director takes another strange turn

Two Warren residents who had been told they couldn’t apply are back in the running in the on-again, off-again attempt to fill a vacant seat on the Bristol County Water Authority’s board … more

By Ted Hayes | 4/2/20

A performer entertains at sunset at Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery.

Something to look forward to — summer music at Westport Rivers Winery

WESTPORT — In the spirit of ‘betters days are coming,” Westport River Winery offers this announcement … “We believe that there is a 'light at the end of … more

4/2/20

The town has closed all parks, the beach and the high school track.

Barrington's parks, fields and beach ordered closed

All parks, fields and the town beach in Barrington will be closed, starting on Friday. Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha signed an executive order on Wednesday, April 1 mandating, among many things, that … more

By Josh Bickford | 4/2/20