Local News

WEST WARWICK — Crime, corruption and all that jazz: following countless hours of rehearsal, the West Warwick Players are ready to dazzle audiences with their rendition of “Chicago.”

COVENTRY — It was a move-in day several years in the making.

WEST WARWICK — Coreen St. Jean’s mission when she founded Be The Change/ Project Hand Up was to build a place where those in need could shop proudly for food and toiletries without worrying about cost. The nonprofit organization has served thousands of local families over the years, and as t…

COVENTRY — Ahead of the next legislative session, Sen. Leonidas Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich, East Greenwich) has announced plans to reintroduce a couple of bills that he’s argued for several years would give Rhode Islanders the “open and accountable government that they th…

WEST WARWICK — When Debra Roffo cut the ribbon on Angel’s Closet in January, her hope was to offer a place where children and teens could easily get their hands on new and gently-used designer clothing. Nearly a year later, though her focus remains largely on dressing kids who need it, she’s…

WEST WARWICK — At West Warwick High School, a group of students has been hard at work making blankets and collecting goods to be donated to the local animal shelter so that the animals there feel loved this holiday season. 

WEST WARWICK — Many decades after serving in World War II, Joseph Joel, who received a silver star medal for his heroic actions in the Battle of the Bulge, is still humbled to be honored for the selflessness he demonstrated all those years ago. 

WEST WARWICK — In the parking lot of the Portuguese Holy Ghost Society, rows and rows of balsam fir trees stand on display, ready to be sold through an annual fundraiser that over more than three decades has become quite the tradition.

WEST WARWICK — A donation by the West Warwick Fire Department will go a long way in ensuring the holidays are bright for more than 400 local families in need.

WEST WARWICK — The roots of Joseph Abreu’s passion for cooking extend deep into his childhood in Venezuela. A current resident of Chepachet, Abreu figures he was around 11 years old when he picked up the hobby, teaching himself the culinary skills that would one day lead him to open his own …

COVENTRY — Around eight months ago, Michael Dandurand was deployed, putting on hold his career as a firefighter with the Central Coventry Fire District to serve his country from overseas. 

WEST WARWICK — More than two years later, Major Ernest Lavigne of the West Warwick Police Department still gets choked up thinking about the day when Pink Heals delivered a flower bouquet to his mom. 

COVENTRY — After a brief but courageous cancer battle claimed her mother’s life last year, Becky Rossi was determined to pay homage to her memory in a way that would make her proud.  

COVENTRY — At an event Sunday in the Guy L. Lefebvre Community Center, century-old documents and weathered maps and photographs were carefully arranged across tables, each item offering a snapshot into Coventry’s past. 

COVENTRY — With their high school years fast approaching, eighth graders in Coventry were given a chance this week to explore all that awaits them beyond the hallways and classrooms of Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School.  

COVENTRY — Local officials and community leaders filled the Knotty Oak Room at Coventry High School Wednesday morning for a celebration to officially roll out Coventry’s initiative to become Rhode Island’s first trauma-informed community. 

WEST WARWICK — With months of rehearsals behind them, Mya Lemery and the young cast of her theater company’s latest production are eager to finally draw the curtain on “Seussical the Musical.”

COVENTRY — Strewn across a table in the Coventry Teen Center on Thursday, a handful of cards created by middle- and high school students shared messages of gratitude for those who served their country. 

COVENTRY — Tucked into the wooded conservation land behind the Coventry Town Hall, stone markers indicate the final resting places of nearly two dozen Rhode Islanders. Bearing dates stretching back some 200 years, many of the stones before this weekend had been knocked to the ground, conceal…

PROVIDENCE — A field trip to the Statehouse to learn about Rhode Island’s history left fourth graders of Wakefield Hills Elementary School with a wealth of insight into the state and its founding from a variety of 17th century perspectives.

COVENTRY — From raising funds for residents affected by cancer to growing out beards as part of the annual no-shave November campaign, the Coventry Police Department has made a strong effort in recent years to expand its community outreach.   

WEST WARWICK — The Crompton Fishing Pier was bustling with young anglers Saturday morning during the town’s first ever family fishing day. And though the fish didn’t do much biting, in Stan Brittsan’s eyes, the event was a great success.

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Islanders poured into Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood Sunday morning to watch the Columbus Day Parade, a feature of the three-day festival held each year over the long weekend. Among the various marching bands and organizations that participated in Sunday’s event, t…

COVENTRY — At 103 years old, Gioia Rossi may be hard of hearing, but she’s certainly still got her wits. 

COVENTRY — When Judi Tessitore Nietupski opened Judi T. Dance Studio more than 40 years ago, it was out of a deep love for dance in its various forms. But despite what its name suggests, Nietupski maintains that she, in fact, didn’t found the successful West Warwick-based dance school. 

WEST WARWICK — Thousands of yellow rubber duckies on Saturday painted the Pawtuxet River, drifting toward a finish line of pool noodles attached end-to-end as community members watched in anticipation. 

WEST WARWICK — In a black and white photograph displayed at AJ’s Restaurant, a young Mike Roarke kneels in a field, a Detroit Tigers cap on his head and a wooden bat in his hands. The image, a relic of Roarke’s storied career, was hung recently to pay homage to the late baseball legend in hi…

COVENTRY — As the Coventry Resource and Senior Center prepares to move into its new home on Wood Street, a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation will help the center construct a greenhouse expected to affect the community in a number of ways.

WEST WARWICK — Walking through the front doors of West Warwick High School, it’s almost palpable.

WEST WARWICK — With an eye on the exciting future awaiting The Arctic Playhouse, Ida Zecco at the end of the month will bring her one-woman show “Thanks for the Mammaries” to the theater for a couple of benefit performances. 

COVENTRY — It all started with a stinky T-shirt.

WEST WARWICK — There are many words that can be used to describe West Warwick resident Al Albrektson. He’s an artist; a teacher; a veteran. And as of Monday, he’s also a centenarian. 

COVENTRY — Seven years have passed since Douglas Auger was killed in a car crash just two months after graduating from high school. And while time has ticked on, his memory has been kept alive through the unwavering efforts of his family.

WEST WARWICK — From burns to crush injuries, firefighters face a number of physical dangers day in and day out. But the job hazards don’t end when the truck pulls back into the firehouse.   

WEST WARWICK — In his first ever book, Coventry native Bobby Bruneau has channeled a lifetime of experiences into a heartfelt story of a son’s complicated relationship with his father, and how it’s followed him through the decades of his life. 

WEST WARWICK — The West Warwick Senior and Community Center was buzzing Thursday, as residents from across Kent County chatted with representatives of various local and state agencies during a community resource fair hosted by Congressman Jim Langevin.Langevin’s reasons for hosting the event…

COVENTRY — When Rebecca Martin’s parents called her one day seeking advice regarding a bunch of kittens they’d just found in their woodpile, she was quick to help. 

WEST WARWICK — At 100 years old, Albert DeSilva has led quite a life. From growing up as one of five brothers in West Warwick, to serving in World War II, and singing decades later in a barbershop quartet in Florida, DeSilva’s experiences are global and varied. And he remembers it all vividly. 

JAMESTOWN — Last month, 300 swimmers set off across Narragansett Bay as part of a Rhode Island tradition that’s taken place annually for over four decades. The 1.7-nautical mile journey is quite a feat in any case, but for one Coventry resident, in particular, completing this year’s swim was…