A Rhode Island Superior Court judge says the state’s new shoreline access law has resulted in the unconstitutional taking of private beachfront property without just compensation to landowners. In two decisions filed Friday, Associate Justice Sarah Taft-Carter denied Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s motion to throw out cases brought by property owners in South […]
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Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for July 12, 2024
If your bingo card had George Clooney delivering a sharp jab to POTUS via op-ed, raise your hand. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** […]
Posted inLocal, Shoreline Access, South County Bureau
Charlestown police accused of empowering ‘vigilantes’ to help patrol local beach
Shoreline access and civil liberties advocates are crying foul over a new policy in Charlestown welcoming private individuals to collect surveillance evidence for police to use in enforcing a vehicle ordinance on a barrier beach at the center of multiple beach access legal fights. Under the new policy rolled out by the Charlestown Police Department […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Overdose deaths in R.I. fell for the first time in five years
Fatal drug overdoses in Rhode Island declined for the first time in five years, with similar dips in other New England states, according to data released Wednesday by the state Department of Health. Rhode Island overdose deaths last year fell about 7 percent. In Massachusetts, overdose deaths last year dropped 10 percent; Connecticut reported an […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South County Bureau
Contested beach parking restrictions in Narragansett aren’t going up anytime soon
The Rhode Island State Traffic Commission has put off a decision on Narragansett’s plans to place parking restrictions along two state roads used by many visitors to Narragansett Town Beach in the summer months. Commissioners said Wednesday they want more time to investigate potential safety hazards posed by timed parking restrictions. In June, the town […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, Transportation
Lawsuit over westbound Washington Bridge likely, state’s lawyer says
A lawyer hired by the state of Rhode Island to claw back money for the debacle involving the westbound Washington Bridge said a lawsuit is more likely than not, although a final decision is not expected for a few more weeks. Barring a surprise, lawyer Max Wistow said the call on whether to pursue litigation […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
New water quality technology makes its debut in Buzzards Bay
Forget the era of volunteers getting water quality data every five days. Data loggers are collecting information every 10 minutes.
Posted inLocal, On Sports
For a perfect summer read pack your beach bag with a good sports book
Summer in Southern New England: beach, umbrella, sand, sun, blanket, pool, fried clams, Del’s Lemonade, grilling, sailing, ice cream, Bristol’s 4th of July Parade. And a good book. Graphic novel, thriller, mystery, biography, historical fiction, science fiction, romance. It makes no difference so long as you can lose yourself in the pages — and occasionally […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics
With no bids to rebuild, RI officials decline to define timeline for opening westbound Washington Bridge
State officials declined on Tuesday to project when a new westbound Washington Bridge would open. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s administration plans to issue a request for information to determine why a proposal to rebuild the span attracted no bids by a recent deadline. The governor declined at a press conference to say what the […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Providence’s crackdown on homeless encampments complicates efforts to prevent overdoses
Outreach worker Amy Santiago had not seen her homeless client, Tracy, in more than a week. Not since a woman in the encampment where Tracy was living died of a drug overdose. “When you have emergency medical personnel and the police come into your encampment,’’ Santiago said, “it’s a frightening experience.” Santiago and her co-workers […]