News | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

A mass of revelers runs for the water at noon Sunday.

'A good kind of crazy' makes for wet New Year's Day

More than 100 people flocked to Grinnell’s Beach Sunday to ring in the new year in a special way, by taking a cold dip in the Sakonnet River for the 11th annual Penguin Plunge. … more

By Jen Campisi | 1/3/23

Bruce Meirowitz, in blue hoodie, talks to beach lovers one recent afternoon.

Little Compton lifeguard, age 72: Life's a beach

It wasn’t until May that Bruce Meirowitz, Rhode Island’s oldest lifeguard, realized just how notable he was. For him, the achievement wasn’t so obvious — he’s used to … more

By Paige Shapiro | 8/23/23

The Patriots’ Avery Pelletier bumps the ball up during Tuesday’s win against West Warwick at home.

Portsmouth dominates West Warwick in girls’ volleyball

PORTSMOUTH — A win over West Warwick at home Tuesday night improved the Portsmouth High girls’ varsity volleyball team’s record to 6-3 in Division I-A. The team, which has … more

10/25/23

Gov. Gina Raimondo begins her COVID-19 briefing on Friday afternoon, June 12.

Governor urges restaurant workers, bus drivers to get tested

PROVIDENCE — The state is expanding its symptomatic testing for COVID-19 to include restaurant workers and bus drivers, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced at a news briefing Friday, June … more

By Jim McGaw | 6/12/20

The Patriots’ Olivia Durant drives the ball past a St. Ray’s opponent during the first half of Tuesday’s home game. Portsmouth won, 50-34.

Portsmouth High girls win fourth game in a row

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School girls’ varsity basketball team is on a roll. After dropping the first game of the season — a non-league contest against Rogers on Dec. 9 … more

12/21/22

This Tiverton home is a good example of the real estate market in 2022. It listed for $1,950,000 and sold for over-asking at $2 million.

The spring market may look familiar – low inventory, high prices

The housing market in the East Bay has been in a whirlwind for the past few years, and experts don’t expect much of a change when spring comes around. Lowered post-pandemic interest rates are … more

By Lucy Probert | 2/15/23

Patrick and Sean Bowen, at the site of their proposed oyster farm in August 2021, will have a hearing before the state CRMC on Tuesday, July 18.

Bowens' aquaculture hearing scheduled for July 18

Three years after they first filed an application to establish a commercial oyster farm off Seapowet Avenue, Little Compton's Patrick and Sean Bowen will finally get a hearing before the state body … more

By Ted Hayes | 6/26/23

Portsmouth High School student Penelope Raynaud climbs the National Guard’s rock wall that was brought in during a criminal justice pathway event on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The wall tested students’ strength and agility.

At Portsmouth High: Exploring a pathway in criminal justice

PORTSMOUTH — Officer William Silvia of the Portsmouth Police Department had just received word of a bank robbery in progress, and hopped into his cruiser to head to the scene. more

By Jim McGaw | 11/21/23

Shailen Bhatt, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, speaks to the media after touring the Washington Bridge Monday, Feb. 5.

Top Federal Highway Administration official tours Washington Bridge

Shailen Bhatt, the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, visited the area Monday, Feb. 5, as part of the national response to the local Washington Bridge Closure crisis. Bhatt … more

By Mike Rego | 2/5/24

Discover a secret garden this summer

Surround yourself with the sights, sounds, scents and beauty of a ‘secret garden’ this season on a visit to Little Compton’s Sakonnet Garden. “It’s an intimate … more

By Lucy Probert | 4/22/24

South Shore Beach opens this weekend

South Shore Beach will open in time for Memorial Day weekend, the Little Compton town council announced during their meeting Thursday night. Summarizing from a letter submitted by the Beach … more

5/22/20

Mayflower Wind map shows what route the cables for its proposed wind turbine project would traverse Portsmouth.

More concerns raised over Mayflower Wind project

PORTSMOUTH — A major wind developer’s plan to lay a 20-mile-long stretch of mostly underwater cables that would also traverse protected land in Portsmouth is attracting increased scrutiny … more

By Jim McGaw | 8/4/22

Standard bearers salute the crowd as they pass the Kinnane building on Main Street, Adamsville, last year.

'World's shortest' parade is in just over a week — here's what's new

Adamsville turns green Sunday afternoon, March 17, when the village hosts its third annual “World’s Shortest St. Paddy’s Day parade.” Afterwards, there will be corned beef and cabbage … more

By Ted Hayes | 3/8/24

Basketball players compete at Longplex, in this file photo.

Coach charged with assaulting boy at youth basketball game

The coach of a basketball team competing in Tiverton over the weekend has been charged with assaulting a 15-year-old player. Adam Hayes, 42, of Peabody, Ma., faces charges of simple assault and … more

4/8/24

Little Compton eyes town-wide flag policy

The Little Compton Town Council is expected Thursday evening to review and vote on a proposed flag policy that would govern their placement on all municipally-owned flag poles, including those of the … more

11/4/21

Little Compton abandons flag policy

The Little Compton Town Council has set aside a proposed ordinance that would create a new flag policy for the town, and councilors agreed there will be no further … more

By Ruth Rasmussen | 2/3/22

Christmas comes early for Tiverton couple

Christmas came early for Tiverton residents Rebecca Glynn and Vanio Tavares, who welcomed the arrival of their second child, Grace, early Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Newport Hospital. And though he's … more

12/8/22

‘It’s always a good time to buy’

t’s no secret that over the past few years, the housing market has been one of the hottest topics, especially among new buyers. We saw major shifts when the pandemic hit; between heightened … more

By Julia Stearly | 2/15/23

Robert Fazzina, a Tiverton resident and abutter closest to proposed site, speaks vehemently against the proposed crematorium.

Angry residents question Tiverton crematorium proposal

Angry North Tiverton residents implored the planning board last week to reject a plan to erect a crematorium and chapel on a vacant lot at 730 Main Road, saying it is wrong for their neighborhood, … more

By Paige Shapiro | 3/15/23

The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering a bill that would make electric bicycles legal on all the state’s bike paths, including the East Bay Bike Path, shown here during a warm day last summer. The bill was approved by a House committee earlier this month, and it may be heard by the full House of Representatives this week.

E-bikes bill would make them legal on all R.I. bike paths

Rhode Island is one of the few states in the country yet to pass laws regulating electric bicycles. A pair of bills before the Rhode Island General Assembly would change that. The companion bills before the House and Senate would make it clear that electric bicycles can be used on bike paths, and they would prevent municipalities from restricting their use any further. more

By Scott Pickering | 5/10/23

A glimpse at traffic Tuesday morning, Dec. 12, at around 9 a.m. in East Providence at the intersection of Broadway and Grovesnor Avenue near City Hall.

Washington Bridge closure creates chaos for drivers in and around East Providence

EAST PROVIDENCE — As expected with the shock announcement the day prior by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to immediately close the structurally deficient westbound side of the … more

By Mike Rego | 12/12/23

Gov. Gina Raimondo at her daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, May 29.

Nursing homes will remain closed to visitors on June 1

PROVIDENCE — If you’ve been unable to visit a loved one living in a nursing home or an assisted living facility since the COVID-19 outbreak, you’ll have to wait at least … more

By Jim McGaw | 5/29/20

The Patriots’ head coach, Keith MacDonald, watches over his players during a scrimmage against Middletown in August.

Removal of coaches angers Portsmouth football parents

PORTSMOUTH — Simmering resentment felt by some members of the Portsmouth High football community toward the PHS athletic department came to a boil during a School Committee meeting on … more

By Jim McGaw | 10/13/23

Members of the Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust at a meeting in early February, about a month before they closed on the fraudulent land deal.

Little Compton land trust scammed for nearly $500,000

A South African con artist is nearly half a million dollars richer after taking the Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust for $499,900 earlier this year. How’d he or she do it? By … more

By Ruth Rasmussen | 12/12/23

The Patriots’ Rowan Snyder leaps across the beam while competing in Sunday’s meet against Mt. Hope High School. She earned a 9.25 on the event and led her team with an all-around score of 35.0.

Portsmouth beats Mt. Hope in gymnastics meet

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School gymnastics team notched another win on Sunday, defeating Mt. Hope at Strive Gymnastics in Somerset. The Patriots scored 133.3 points to the … more

2/5/24