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Ellary Kinnane, 15, of Portsmouth, lives with Nemaline Myopathy, a rare neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness of varying severity throughout her body. An Oktoberfest event at Sunset Cove on Sunday, Oct. 8, will raise funds toward finding treatments for the disorder.

Portsmouth Oktoberfest event Sunday will raise funds to battle rare disorder

PORTSMOUTH — Fifteen-year-old Ellary Kinnane of Portsmouth, who lives with Nemaline Myopathy (NM), cannot eat, breathe or walk on her own. She is wheelchair-bound, and uses a ventilator day and … more

10/6/23

Portsmouth High’s Mollyana McGuire collides with a West Warwick defender while taking a shot on goal during the Patriots’ shutout win over the Wizards at home on Thursday, Oct. 5.

Portsmouth High girls shut out West Warwick, 5-0

PORTSMOUTH — The Patriots girls’ soccer team won its third-straight game on Thursday, Oct. 5, by blanking visiting West Warwick in a conference matchup, 5-0. more

10/6/23

Seventh-grade Middletown student Ella Robson encounters local wildlife at Sisson Pond, adjacent to the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm.

Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm receives $20K grant

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm has received a $20,000 grant from Rhode Island Energy and the PPL Foundation’s Empowering Communities Grant program to support programming at … more

10/5/23

Portsmouth Patriot Allie Kaull (center), who finished 15th out of more than 700 athletes at a recent meet in Maine, competes in a race last season.

Portsmouth Patriots boys make state championships

The Portsmouth Patriots cross-country team is having one of its best seasons in years, following a strong showing at an event in Maine in late September and a close win over Moses Brown at the Glen Monday. more

10/4/23

Portsmouth man charged with shooting hawks

A Portsmouth man has been charged with shooting several hawks in and around his property, in violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Robert J. Ferreira, 64, allegedly shot at, … more

By Ted Hayes | 10/3/23

DEM stocks 25 state waterways with Brook, Rainbow trout

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is conducting its fall trout stocking at area locations in advance of the Columbus Day holiday weekend. The effort … more

9/28/23

Offshore wind is the subject of intense debate in Rhode Island.

Two sides to the wind farm debate

A Rhode Island citizen activist made a powerful pitch about the dangers of offshore wind projects to a mostly supportive audience in Westport, Mass., on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and a small group of … more

By Mary Lhowe/ecoRI News contributor | 9/27/23

Becky Chace had her own band, sold thousands of CDs and played at big venues, before pausing music to become a teacher. These days, she’s playing music on her own terms — and having fun.

Meet Becky Chace: A prolific musician with a future all her own

I had sought out, for some time, singer, songwriter, guitarist Becky Chace for an interview regarding her life and times in music. A life rich in gigs, travel, recordings, starts, stops and … more

By Michael Khouri | 9/26/23

Steve Cardone helps load donated goods into a shopping cart outside of the food bank last Friday. The food bank was honored with The Portsmouth Award by the Town Council Monday night.

Portsmouth Community Service Award goes to food bank

PORTSMOUTH — St. John’s Lodge Food Bank’s hard work and dedication in serving the community over the past several years has not gone unnoticed. more

By Jim McGaw | 9/26/23

Portsmouth Police: Car hit 110 mph during high-speed chase

A 34-year-old Pawtucket man turned himself in last week after previously bolting from officers during a high-speed chase, police said. more

9/25/23

The Portsmouth Patriots varsity football team takes the field before facing Bishop Hendricken in a non-league match at home last Thursday night.

Portsmouth gets walloped by Bishop Hendricken, 55-7

PORTSMOUTH — Bishop Hendricken is in a different league than Portsmouth High, and the Hawks proved it Friday night. In a non-league matchup which served as the home opener for the … more

9/25/23

Thais Jackson of Portsmouth, here playing for her high school team, St. Mark's School, has committed to play lacrosse at West Point, where she will be a member of the Class of 2029.

Portsmouth lacrosse athlete commits to play for West Point

PORTSMOUTH — She’s only 16, but Portsmouth’s Thais Jackson already has a commitment to attend West Point, aka The U.S. Military Academy. more

9/25/23

Portsmouth water mains to be flushed starting Oct. 2

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Water and Fire District will be flushing water mains from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. per the following schedule: • Monday, Oct. 2: East Main Road from Pine Tree … more

9/25/23

The state says people should avoid contact with Lower Melville Pond, due to blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) blooms. A similar advisory is still in effect for the upper pond, now known as Thurston Gray Pond.

State: Avoid contact with Lower Melville Pond, Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — The R.I. Department of Health (RIDOH) and the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) are advising people to avoid contact with Lower Melville Pond due to blue-green … more

9/22/23

Rep. Terri Cortvriend of Portsmouth walks along the shoreline in front of Baker Road homes on the west side of Portsmouth back in March. Her bill establishing that the public area of the shoreline is 10 feet landward of the recognizable high tide line was later signed into law by the governor.

Federal judge dismisses challenge to R.I. shoreline access law

Wrong court, wrong argument and against the wrong people. So declared U.S. District Court Judge William Smith in his Sept. 19 opinion dismissing a legal challenge to the state’s newly … more

By Nancy Lavin/R.I. Current | 9/22/23

Gordon School has created a new “Whatever I Need” block in every student’s day, where they have free time for “whatever they need.” In the spirit of social-emotional wellness and growth, classes might go outside for some fun, hold a lively discussion about an important topic, or spend time reading together (above) with the school’s therapy dog, Denver.

For private schools, enrollment growth is a pandemic silver lining

While the global pandemic made a mess of just about everything everywhere, it had a hidden benefit for private schools — it boosted their enrollments. Admissions directors at numerous … more

By Scott Pickering | 9/21/23

Portsmouth schools end fiscal year with surplus of over $400K

PORTSMOUTH — The school district will have more than $400,000 to spread around for school construction projects, thanks to a surplus left over from the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Chris … more

By Jim McGaw | 9/20/23

This placard, along Park Avenue, is among several that have popped up around town.

Special meeting looms on Portsmouth transfer station

PORTSMOUTH — Residents are still not done talking trash, apparently. About 100 or more residents crowded the Town Council Chambers and the adjacent hallway to hear an agenda item regarding … more

By Jim McGaw | 9/19/23

Tyler Both (12) fires a shot off a Central defender which resulted in a corner kick for the Patriots. Landon Rodrigues (11) would end up scoring on the corner kick by Kyle Bielawa.

Portsmouth edged by Central High in boys’ soccer, 2-1

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School boys’ varsity soccer team is still seeking its first win this season after being nipped by Central High at home Tuesday night, 2-1. The … more

9/19/23

Maggie Lauder is a senior at Portsmouth High School who is being honored by the R.I. Environmental Education Association.

Portsmouth student honored with environmental award

PORTSMOUTH — A Portsmouth High School senior is one of the four recipients of the R.I. Environmental Education Association’s (RIEEA) 2023 Environmental Education Award. more

9/18/23

A new URI study has found extensive microplastics in Narragansett Bay. Researchers Victoria Fulfer (shown) and J.P. Walsh estimate that the top 2 inches of the floor of Narragansett Bay now contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics, and that buildup has occurred in just the last 10 to 20 years.

New URI study finds extensive microplastics in Narragansett Bay

Two University of Rhode Island researchers estimate that the top 5 centimeters (2 inches) of the floor of Narragansett Bay now contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics, and that buildup has occurred in just the last 10 to 20 years. more

9/14/23

The Patriots celebrate a goal scored by Kaelyn Mahoney late in the first half of Tuesday’s home game against North Smithfield. Portsmouth won, 2-0.

Portsmouth girls shut out North Smithfield, 2-0

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High varsity girls soccer team is off to a good start in Division II after winning its first two games. The team shut out North Smithfield, 2-0, during its … more

9/13/23

Members of the Cote family from Dartmouth pedal their bikes along Park Avenue during the inaugural Sakonnet Coastal Bike and Stroll held Saturday. Jeremy Cote leads his children (from left) Jack, 8, Georgia, 6, and Sam, 6. Park Avenue, Hummocks Avenue and a portion of Anthony Road into Common Fence Point were shut down to motor vehicles so cyclists and pedestrians could enjoy a safe, car-free ride.

Having the whole road to themselves in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — Bari Freeman, executive director of Bike Newport, said she asked the kids pedaling along Park Avenue on Saturday what they liked most about the Sakonnet Coastal Bike and … more

By Jim McGaw | 9/13/23

Police Chief Brian Peters pitches his Portsmouth Police Department employee retention plan to the Town Council Monday night. The council unanimously approved the program.

Portsmouth OKs police chief’s plan to retain officers

It’s a nationwide crisis that has finally come home to roost within the Portsmouth Police Department — losing good officers to other jobs, which has resulted in a staffing shortage on the force. more

By Jim McGaw | 9/12/23

Architect’s aerial rendering shows updated layout of the Island Park OASIS Beach Volleyball complex being proposed for a site over the old landfill in Island Park. The larger of the 13 courts at left could be converted into a sand soccer court. The parking lot has spaces for just over 100 vehicles, and the three temporary buildings in between would be used for storage, ticket sales and restrooms. The gravel entrance road from Park Avenue at right includes a turnaround for emergency vehicles.

Abutters don’t dig plans for sand volleyball complex

PORTSMOUTH — Abutters finally got their turn last Thursday night to sound off on a proposed sand volleyball complex that would be built atop the old town dump in Island Park. more

By Jim McGaw | 9/11/23