Local News

WEST WARWICK — Just in time for the holidays, The Arctic Playhouse has moved in fully to its theater at 1249 Main Street — and what better way to celebrate than by inviting audience members in to enjoy a Christmas classic. 

COVENTRY — With boots in hand, firefighters from Coventry and West Greenwich set out recently to collect donations that will help local families in need this holiday season. 

The holidays are once again upon us — and after a lackluster season in 2020, the Christmas  spirit will return to Kent County in full force this year with several festive events planned for the weeks ahead. 

COVENTRY — In a well-trafficked hallway of Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School, a display case is filled with photos of veterans and current military members, each one of them loved by someone within the school community.

WEST WARWICK — Community members came together Thursday in West Warwick Veterans Memorial Park, where wreaths were placed, stories were shared and homage was paid to all who have answered the call to serve. 

Rupa Datta has always held diversity and inclusion close to her heart. Within a work setting, she said, having leaders who come from different backgrounds can be particularly valuable.  

COVENTRY — With less than two weeks to go before Thanksgiving, the Coventry High School Navy Junior ROTC has partnered with a local fitness center in an effort to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy a festive meal. 

COVENTRY — To many, the athletic fields on Phillips Hill Road are a place to play ball, or to enjoy a hot dog while cheering on a loved one during a softball tournament. To some, they’re a lot more than that. 

WEST WARWICK — Marc Ciora’s passion for music and film runs deep. Over years of collecting he’s amassed a stockpile of CDs and DVDs, and with the recent opening of Music Magick is eager to share his collection. 

COVENTRY — The Coventry High School Alumni Association has announced the latest group of Oakers to be inducted into the Coventry High School Hall of Fame. They’re lifesavers, teachers and givers, and each of them has had a positive impact on the community. 

WEST WARWICK — Thundermist Health Center leaders, board members, state and local officials and others gathered recently to break ground on the new Thundermist dental building, an $8.6 million project in the heart of Arctic Village. 

WEST WARWICK — A new statue stands tall in the memorial park outside Station 4. The bronze structure depicts a firefighter; he carries a pick-head axe and atop his head rests a West Warwick helmet, "1104" written in the center.

COVENTRY — From medical equipment of a bygone age, to works of art that evoke forgotten memories, Candy’s Curiosities and Vintage is the place to go for a variety of oddities, antiques and utterly creepy finds.

WEST WARWICK — Since being hired by the West Warwick Police Department nearly 28 years ago, the idea that he would one day serve at the agency’s helm had never crossed Ernest Lavigne’s mind. 

WEST WARWICK — Thanks to the heroic actions of two members of the West Warwick Police Department, an incident that could have ended in tragedy instead became a reason to rejoice.

WEST WARWICK — On Main Street in Arctic Village, a new business beckons passersby with the promise of delicious cakes, fresh-baked pastries, and many of the same Portuguese treats that have been enjoyed by locals for years. 

COVENTRY — Right off of the Coventry Greenway, located inside a repurposed shipping container at the town’s transfer station, the Coventry Bike Bank is officially open for business. 

COVENTRY — Julie Leddy sat Tuesday afternoon in a chair set up on the lawn behind 14 Manchester Circle. Around her, staff members and residents of the Coventry Housing Authority stood by large orange buckets, loaded foam water shooters at the ready.   

WEST WARWICK — Tucked inside an aluminum briefcase, a collection of medals and badges offer a glimpse into Ernie Roberts’ heroism during World War II; of his bravery in the Battle of the Bulge, and of the time he was injured by a blast from a German tank.  

COVENTRY — On June 18, in the back of a rescue truck as it sped toward Kent Hospital, Rhyder Yergeau-Barker took his first breaths.

COVENTRY — In the village of Arkwright, stretched across the Pawtuxet River, an abandoned bridge harks back to the days when area mills flourished and carriages were a common mode of transportation. 

WEST WARWICK — The football field was awash in Wizard pride Friday night, as West Warwick High School said farewell to 217 members of the class of 2021 during a commencement ceremony unlike any other.

WEST WARWICK — There’s no substitute for hard work, Meghan Janicki said during a recent interview. Even if something seems impossible, she said, as long you put in the effort, you’re bound to see results.

WEST WARWICK — After 27 years working in law enforcement for the Town of West Warwick, Col. Mark Knott will officially be wearing a new hat come the end of the month. 

WEST WARWICK — For Hannah Shindler, the last 15 months were a time of self reflection. It was during that time, as she mulled over her interests while studying remotely, that the plans for her future really took shape. 

COVENTRY — Some 1,300 pounds of plastic were collected during an event in Coventry this weekend, saving what would otherwise have wound up in the Central Landfill so that it can one day be used to make new products. 

WEST WARWICK — Juana Palacios was making her rounds one afternoon earlier this year, distributing mail on Alden Drive in West Warwick, when she noticed a resident in need of emergency medical attention. 

COVENTRY — On Dec. 7, 1941, a young Coventry resident was among more than 2,400 Americans killed in the attack that launched the United States into World War II. Nearly four years later, the same war claimed his brother’s life. 

WEST WARWICK — The Jaycee Corridor and Arboretum at Riverpoint Park has a fresh new look, thanks to Henri Messier, a member of Troop 11 Coventry. 

WEST WARWICK — After a year in which theaters worldwide were dark, the curtain will finally rise this weekend on a musical production unlike anything the West Warwick High School Players have done before. 

COVENTRY — Thanks to dozens of volunteers who pitched in during the town’s annual Earth Day event, the streets and parks of Coventry are a lot cleaner today than they were last week. 

COVENTRY — On the eastern side of Coventry, a small body of water has long been a favorite spot of swimmers, kayakers and anglers, alike. But with aquatic invasives threatening its future, a group of residents is on a mission to restore the lake they love by keeping the troublesome plants at bay. 

COVENTRY — As it continues its mission of preserving the past, the Western Rhode Island Civic Historical Society, which runs the Paine House Museum, is looking with excitement to the future. 

COVENTRY — At the former site of a beloved local garden center, a new family-run business has planted roots.  

COVENTRY — Every year, a service held in Coventry pays homage to the heroism of four World War II chaplains who, 78 years ago last month, died rescuing servicemen and civilian workers as their ship sank in the frigid Atlantic. 

COVENTRY — Andrew Clarkin has grown up spending his summers at the Westwood YMCA. From learning to swim in the Quidnick Reservoir during his childhood, to becoming a swim instructor, himself, last summer, some of his fondest memories were made at Westwood. 

WEST WARWICK — The West Warwick Public Library was announced on Thursday by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as a finalist for the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries.

WEST WARWICK — On a sliver of land bordered by Pulaski Street and the Pawtuxet River, a longtime symbol of Crompton’s roots as a mill village no longer stands.