Kent County Daily Times
A SECOND CHANCE
COVENTRY — Following a recent influx of animals, the Coventry Police Department’s Animal Control Division is hoping to find forever homes for a number of dogs and cats. “They didn’t ask for this,” the department posted on its Facebook page Thursday....
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Nor'easter
This weekend is shaping up to be a stormy one for millions of people living in the Northeast. The forecast is trending toward a powerful, slow-moving and rare September nor’easter that tracks closer to the coast. Because the storm will coincide with...
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URI opens doors on renovated Fine Arts Center
KINGSTON — The triumphant sound of horns and a chorus of voices was heard echoing through the foyer of the 2.0 version of the University of Rhode Island’s Fine Arts Center on Monday, as students, staff, and state leaders gathered inside the...
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Billy Gilman set to perform in RI for 25-year anniversary show
WESTERLY — Former child star and singer Billy Gilman will perform at the United Theatre on Sept. 26 to reflect on 25 years in the music industry in an anniversary event that celebrates the songs that gave him his start and looks toward his next...
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Local sheries organization launches charity license plate
If you love fresh-caught seafood straight from Narragansett Bay, there’s a new way that you can play a role in keeping it coming. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), a marine research nonprofit private foundation based in Kingston,...
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A LIFE OF SERV.ICE
COVENTRY — Tom Senerchia has lived a life of selfless service. Pastor of the Cornerstone of Faith United Methodist Church in Coventry, Senerchia has served others in countless ways over the years. Still, he insists that each of his good deeds was done...
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Foulkes
Gov. Dan McKee won’t be in office to see through his promised “day of reckoning” over the Washington Bridge closure, after losing his reelection bid to Democratic challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes on Wednesday, according to preliminary, unofficial...
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WHEN ROCK WAS REVOLUTIONARY
WESTERLY — In 1968, Top 40 disc jockeys sounded like men shouting in a stadium, says North Kingstown resident Sam Kopper, a former Boston FM station DJ who decided to change the tone and talk instead. “And our philosophy was we’re in a room, we’re in...
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OUT ON THE TOWN
join the military; those who lost jobs in hard-hit industries like tourism and air transportation; those who came from certain countries and communities viewed with heightened suspicion after the attacks. Different networks overlap in Jenna...
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Land chosen for Rhode Island’s Vietnam veterans memorial
In 1967, Ernie Boisvert returned from Vietnam, having served about a year before he was injured in a rocket launcher attack that killed his platoon's lieutenant. He came back to a country that was different from when he left it after being drafted at...
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BOAS FESTA.S
WEST WARWICK — This weekend, a tradition celebrated for more than a century by the local Portuguese community returns to West Warwick. Held over Labor Day weekend each year, the dayslong Holy Ghost Feast is a festival honoring Queen Elizabeth, or...
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House lawmakers return to Washington with a stopgap funding bill atop the list of priorities
WASHINGTON — House lawmakers return to Washington on Monday with a short to-do list after five weeks back in their home districts. The first order of business is likely a vote on a stopgap spending bill designed to keep the federal government fully...
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Report nds aws in hunt for Brown shooter who went on to kill again
The search for the Brown University shooter who killed two students and wounded nine others last December was complicated by a fragmented system for collecting and sifting through tips, delayed access to video from university cameras and valuable time...
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IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING .
WEST WARWICK — Throughout his lifetime, as he trained day in and day out, Jason Pisano refused to let the obstacles he faced stop him from reaching his goals. “Impossible,” Pisano used to say, “is nothing.” “Jason knew what it was like to overcome...
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Mall
On Aug, 20, 1999, crowds streamed through the Providence Place mall, ready to celebrate the long-awaited opening day of the downtown shopping destination. On Thursday — exactly 27 years later — a much smaller and more muted celebration unfolded as the...
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SENIOR PARKING ONLY
Rising seniors took part this week in a beloved West Warwick High School tradition, painting their assigned parking spaces ahead of the first day of the school year.
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Tiogue
COVENTRY — Work to make some much-needed upgrades to the Tiogue Lake gatehouse is slated to begin next week. For several years, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has been advising the town that the Tiogue Lake dam structure —...
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AND THE WINNE.R IS...
WEST WARWICK — It’s official: Pizza Nomad makes the best pizza in West Warwick. At least that’s according to the panel of celebrity judges that was tasked with determining which local restaurant makes the best slice during the West Warwick Housing...
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'He touched everyone's hearts' .
WARWICK — St. Gregory the Great Church was filled Thursday morning with those who knew and loved Stephen Alves, a man who will long be remembered for his sense of humor, his unwavering generosity, and the love he had for his hometown. “God broke the...
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A WHOLE NEW WORLD
COVENTRY — On the stage of the Coventry Town Hall Annex auditorium on Tuesday afternoon, young actors donning coin-tasseled wraps and colorful chiffon sang about flying carpets and magical lamps. Nearby, Mya Lemery sat watching as the cast rehearsed...
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Governor directs state flags to be lowered in honor of Alves
WEST WARWICK — Stephen Alves, a West Warwick Democrat who served for 18 years as a state senator, died last week following a long illness. He was 67. A 1977 graduate of West Warwick High School who went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the...
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A MAGICAL NIGHT
“The Trump industrial resurgence is on schedule," said White House spokesman Kush Desai. "Manufacturing and factory construction jobs grew again in July even as government payrolls continued to significantly shrink.’’ Trump has long bragged that jobs...
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OUT ON THE TOWN
wonderful mother.” Clancy’s defense says she was a loving mother who was overmastered by postpartum psychosis, a dangerous psychiatric condition that afflicts a small proportion of women after childbirth and affects their hold on reality. Prosecutors...
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URI team to address remediation challenges of manganese in R.I. drinking water
A partnership between the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Department of Health will study manganese levels in Rhode Island’s drinking water. The project, “Statewide Support for Manganese Management in Rhode Island,” will be funded by a...
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Lights
COVENTRY — With the approval of the Coventry Town Council, the lights that illuminate baseball fields used each year by hundreds of young athletes are on track to get much-needed improvements. During their meeting this week, councilors unanimously...
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'INFORMATION MATTERS' .
WEST WARWICK — Outside the West Warwick Fire Department’s Station 4 this week, the governor ceremonially signed into law a piece of legislation that lawmakers and advocates say will help protect Rhode Island’s firefighters. Sponsored by Rep. Earl Read...
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URI supports ower industry with new research study
KINGSTON — At the northwest corner of the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston campus, you’ll find Agronomy Farm, a small farm with a beautiful garden of 30 different varieties of snapdragon flowers. But the yellow flags waving above some of the stems...
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DOWN MEMORY LANE
every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the West Greenwich Pavilion behind the West Greenwich Town Hall, starting on June 11 and ending on Aug. 27. No meetings for Exeter Grange in July, August Exeter Grange, located at 469 Ten Rod Road (Route...
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PIECES OF THE PAST
every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the West Greenwich Pavilion behind the West Greenwich Town Hall, starting on June 11 and ending on Aug. 27. No meetings for Exeter Grange in July, August Exeter Grange, located at 469 Ten Rod Road (Route...
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Vic Mellor talks about his run for Rhode Island's Dist. 2 seat in the US House
Vic Mellor is not your average Rhode Island politician. Matter of fact, he is a candidate the likes of which we have not seen before in modern history. A proud, unabashed conservative (in a blue, blue state) that vigorously supports President Donald...
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BUILDING RHODE ISLAND
PAWTUCKET — In front of dozens of Rhode Island union laborers, assorted elected officials and numerous other business people, Gov. Dan McKee held a ceremonial bill signing for two construction-related pieces of legislation at the future site of the new...
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Bill’s Place is a lot more than a restaurant and bar
Just about every city and town in America has their signature locations that people return to again and again to celebrate occasions, break some bread together and have a needed respite from their everyday challenges. When 19-year-old Vasilios Melanis...
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ONE CUP AT A TIME
COVENTRY — With the town council’s recent approval, Coventry’s newest coffee shop is one step closer to fulfilling its mission of “creating community one cup at a time.” The Coventry Town Council voted unanimously during its meeting last week to grant...
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SUMMER IN THE VALLEY
the Grange Hall for the cers. installation of offi Widows Support Group Church of the Apostles, located at 170 Fairview Ave., Coventry, hosts a support group for widows and widowers to meet and support one another, whether you have lost a loved one...
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Coventry crash brings live wires down into roadway; car becomes entangled
COVENTRY — A car crash on Nooseneck Hill Road earlier this week left a portion of the road closed as downed live wires created a hazardous situation. At 3:30 p.m. on Monday, the Coventry Police Department and Coventry firefighters responded to the...
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KEEPING CO. OL
the Grange Hall for the cers. installation of offi Widows Support Group Church of the Apostles, located at 170 Fairview Ave., Coventry, hosts a support group for widows and widowers to meet and support one another, whether you have lost a loved one...
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July 19: Rhode Island’s real Independence Day
Since 1909 we have observed May 4th as Rhode Island’s Independence Day, as a result of the relentless 24year campaign by Smithfield town clerk James S. Slater to obtain that designation. The declaratory statute passed on May 26, 1908 required the...
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URI
Hundreds gathered last Thursday to witness a ribbon-cutting ceremony unlike any other thanks to an underwater robot and a barrage of rubber duckies falling from the sky, as the University of Rhode Island celebrated the grand opening of its new Ocean...
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Rhode Island GOP endorses Aaron Guckian for governor
Republican gubernatorial candidate Aaron Guckian secured the state GOP’s endorsement in the only contested state or federal seat vetted during the party’s statewide contention at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston Thursday night. Guckian secured the...
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REQUIRED READING: Declaration of Independence goes on brief display
With America’s 250th birthday fast approaching, a local library did its part to connect Southern Rhode Island residents to their nation’s history with a tradition dating back to this country’s founding. A line of people was seen pouring out of the...
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STEPPING BACK IN TIME
The West Warwick 250th Commission hosted its Living History Day on Saturday at Maznicki Field in conjunction with the town’s annual I Love America Days carnival. The event featured colonial reenactors, artisan vendors, live demonstrations and dances...
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One for the history books
Hundreds lined South Main Street in Coventry on Saturday to watch as a parade celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday passed by. Following the parade, the annual Coventry Summer Festival offered family fun including a kids zone, music, food trucks and...
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Rhode Island Computer Museum celebrates new home in North Kingstown
NORTH KINGSTOWN — Whether you’re versed in IT or just looking for something to do on a rainy day, there’s a particular museum collection you just might want to check out. Hidden behind the Firehouse Subs on Ten Rod Road in North Kingstown is the door...
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'IT WAS A BLAST'
WEST WARWICK — Serving as solicitor of the town that he loves has been a dream come true for Tim Williamson. “This has been a dream job for me,” Williamson said, sitting in his chair in the West Warwick Council Chambers for the final time in his...
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Coventry man dies in early morning fire
COVENTRY — The Coventry community is mourning the loss of a man who died in a house fire over the weekend. At 1:44 a.m. on Sunday, Coventry firefighters and the Coventry Police Department responded to Audubon Lane for a reported structural fire with a...
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AMERICA DAYS
WEST WARWICK — An event in West Warwick next weekend will give community members the chance to enjoy carnival rides, indulge in fried foods, marvel at a fireworks display and walk among historical characters. The town’s annual I Love America Days...
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BEACH BEHAVIORS
COVENTRY — With summer right around the corner, an amended ordinance OK’d by the town council this week aims to curb some of the activity at Briar Point Beach that residents of the area say has left them unable to enjoy their own yards. “We still want...
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WONDERFUL WIZARDS
On Friday evening, before their family, friends and former teachers, members of the West Warwick High School class of 2026 crossed the stage at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. “Tonight’s occasion is an exciting time for the class of...
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OAKER AND OUT
TKINGSTON he Oaker pride was strong Thursday evening, as the Coventry High School community said farewell to 273 members of the class of 2026. Family and friends clapped and cheered as the graduates processed to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance,...
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' THE VERY BEST'
COVENTRY — Before a crowd that included state officials, district administrators, students and colleagues, Michael Cook learned earlier this week that he’d been selected as the 2027 state Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made by Rhode Island...
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A JOB WELL DONE
COVENTRY — Troop 11 Coventry “prides itself in helping out and giving back to the community,” according to a proclamation that was presented last week to the members of the local Scouting America troop. During Thursday’s town council meeting,...
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BENEATH THE LIBERTY TREE
WEST WARWICK — As rain fell steadily to the earth, members of the West Warwick 250th Commission shoveled dirt onto the base of a young tree beside Factory Street. Planted to commemorate 250 years since the nation’s founding document was signed, the...
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'A safer community for all'
WEST WARWICK — An infusion of federal funds will help ensure that the West Warwick Police Department has what it needs “to protect and serve effectively,” the department’s chief said earlier this week. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner joined local...
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A DAY TO REMEMBER
IWEST WARWICK n the West Warwick High School auditorium, as the rain fell outside, community members came together Monday morning to honor the fallen. “Memorial Day is a solemn occasion,” Brig. Gen. Charles Petrarca, master of ceremonies, said as he...
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WHAT'S COOKING
COVENTRY — In the Oaker Cafe, students with special needs served their peers slices of Mexican-inspired and garden blooms pizzas; Italian stromboli and cups filled with a refreshing tropical smoothie. The taste tests, which took place monthly...
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A CELEBRATION IN ART
More than 100 students entered the “Historical Coventry, A celebration in Art” contest, an RI250-funded event that was a collaboration of the Nathanael Greene Homestead, the Western Rhode Island Civic Historical Society, Coventry Historic Preservation...
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URI commencement encourages students to seize opportunity
Graduation weekend 2026 at the University of Rhode Island has come and gone, a time for faculty, leaders, and students themselves to give graduates advice on their way off campus. This year’s encouraging messages appeared to have a theme: uncertain...
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LIFE SAVERS
COVENTRY — This week, some nine months after she nearly lost her life, a Coventry woman got the chance to formally thank the people who saved her. “This is what this profession is all about,” Hopkins Hill Fire Chief John Potvin said, standing at a...
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A VALLEY CLASSIC
Bob Boyer is a character. Opinionated. Hardworking. And, some might say, a little irascible at times. One thing is undeniable. He helped build West Warwick as few have. Not just as the founder and operator of Boyer Engineering on Main Street in West...
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MEMORIAL DAY IN THE VALLEY
Memorial Day is right around the corner, and events to mark the occasion are planned in Coventry and West Warwick. In Coventry, local veterans will host their annual tour of the town’s war monuments. The tour will kick off at the WWI memorial at the...
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'It's a big honor'
WEST WARWICK — Having proven their proficiency in either Spanish, Italian or French, dozens of West Warwick High School students were welcomed this week into the school’s World Languages Honor Society. “It’s a big honor,” Grace Gallo said, a...
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ECOLOGY & PEACE
The Jaycees of Kent County will continue their month of Earth Day activities this Saturday with the 29th annual Ecology Day and Peace Prayer Ceremony. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at Riverpoint Park, 110 Hay St., West Warwick, featuring...
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OPENING DAY
The 2026 Opening Day for the Paine House Museum in Coventry was held on Saturday, featuring an open house, market day and the introduction of a new historical medicinal garden that was designed, built and maintained by local Girl Scout Kelsey Authelet,...
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WWHA recognizes community partners during annual meeting
WEST WARWICK — The West Warwick Housing Authority conducted its annual meeting last week. In a packed room of 85 residents and guests, the housing authority presented its Annual Report on Operations, recognized two organizations with Partnership...
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100 & FABULOUS
WEST WARWICK — The key to living a long life, according to Josephine Lucier, is threefold. “They all want to know the secret,” Lucier said last week, a tiara on her head and a golden sash draped across her chest. “I tell them, ‘eat, sleep, and go...
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SPRING CLEANING
With the help of about 100 community volunteers, Mother Nature received a make-over this past weekend. The annual Earth Day clean-up occurred in many neighborhoods throughout Coventry. The Department of Public Works has been coordinating the event for...
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It’s a Big River job but somebody’s got to do it
WEST GREENWICH — For more than 25 years, community members have gathered to clean up everything from boats, to tires, to filled bottles, to snack wrappers from the approximately 8,600-acre Big River Management Area. In partnership with the West...
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Five years after devastating fire, Foster Parrots rises again
THOPKINTON ucked down a dirt path off Woodville Alton Road is a sprawling, farmhouse-style building that could pass for a boutique hotel. But this luxury isn’t for humans — it’s for birds. Foster Parrots Ltd., founded in 1989, is a nonprofit...
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A FAMILY TRADITION
If you've spent any amount of time in the Pawtuxet Valley, chances are that you know or have heard of the Iannotti family. Their involvement in the community is well known. From beautiful floral arrangements, to hometown restaurants and pubs, to...
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OAKER PRIDE
A celebration was held Thursday morning at Coventry High School to recognize the school being designated a National Unified Champion School by the Special Olympics. This is the second year that Coventry High School has earned the distinction, having...
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'When is enough enough?'
A package of bills introduced this year in the General Assembly aims to make Rhode Island’s roads safer by stiffening the penalties for those caught driving recklessly or while under the influence. “Drunk driving offenses are becoming an almost daily...
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GONE FISHING
Anglers in Rhode Island await the second Saturday in April each year as the formal opening day of trout season. Rhode Island is the last state in New England to maintain this classic spring milestone, when thousands flock to local ponds and lakes in...
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' Today we are celebrating the future of Coventry'
COVENTRY — Federal funds totaling $2.25 million will support two projects that Coventry’s town manager this week called “very important for the residents and business owners” of the town. “Today we are celebrating the future of Coventry,” Town Manager...
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' Those guys saved my life'
WEST WARWICK — Russ Bullock was playing pool at Phenix Sportsmen’s Club one night last December when he suddenly collapsed to the floor. “On Nov. 22, I turned 69,” Bullock said earlier this week. “Eighteen days later, I was dead.” If it hadn’t been...
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Coventry School Committee celebrates 2026 All-State student musicians
COVENTRY — The Coventry School Committee took time during a recent meeting to celebrate dozens of talented student musicians. “Whenever we have an opportunity to celebrate anyone, we want to take advantage of it, because we have a great district and...
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'I'm beyond grateful'
COVENTRY — When Bailey Borkowski walked into work on Wednesday afternoon, she was not expecting what she was met with. The sounds of cheers and party blowers rang out as she walked through the door; balloons in the shapes of hearts and stars floated...
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