The site where English colonists massacred hundreds of Narragansett Indians more than 345 years ago has officially been returned to the tribe in a land transfer that’s being described as monumental.
Alex Nunes
Alex oversees the three local bureaus at The Public’s Radio, and staffs the desk for our South County Bureau. Alex was previously the co-host and co executive producer of The Public's Radio podcast, Mosaic. The show explored the history of immigration in Southern New England through the stories of individual immigrants and their descendants and received an Edward R. Murrow Award for best podcast in the New England region. Alex previously worked as an editor at The Westerly Sun and The New London Day.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
‘There was nobody like him’: Boston Marathon honors Narragansett runner Ellison Brown
The 125th Boston Marathon takes place this Monday. Rescheduled from its usual time of year in April, the race will be held on Indigenous People’s Day, a decision that has drawn some criticism. The Boston Athletic Association, which puts on the race, says it does, however, plan to honor indigenous runners, including Ellison Brown—known also by the nicknames “Tarzan” and “Deerfoot.”
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
‘It doesn’t seem fair’: In shoreline fire districts, taxes buy residents ‘beach club’ perks and exclusivity
In South County, several shoreline fire districts bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and other revenue annually but spend much of it on expenses more in line with a private beach club, not a fire department. That has drawn the ire of beachgoers who are being blocked from the shore.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Former assistant R.I. attorney general: ‘White collar vigilantism’ has denied beachgoers public right of way in Westerly
A special fire district says it owns a contested path to the ocean and that it can block the public from using the trail. Now a retired Rhode Island assistant attorney general has joined shoreline rights activists to try to open the path up to the public.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Block Island approves new mask mandate for indoor places
A new mask mandate goes into effect Friday on Block Island. The emergency ordinance follows a vote Thursday night by the New Shoreham Town Council.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
House commission to invite public comment in South County on shoreline access
A State House commission set up to study access to Rhode Island’s shoreline will take one of its meetings to South County later this year to get public comment from communities where disputes over beach access have been most contentious.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
‘It could have been a lot worse’: South County begins to bounce back from Tropical Storm Henri
Southern Rhode Island was getting closer to business as usual on Monday following the damage left by Tropical Storm Henri. Road crews cleaned debris, National Grid worked to restore power to thousands of customers, and business owners began reopening.
Posted inArticle, Environment
Henri leaves thousands without power in Rhode Island: Latest updates
Nearly 36,000 National Grid customers still affected by power outages in Washington County, by far the most in the state. The outages are most widespread in Charlestown and Narragansett, where about 5,600 and 9,300 customers are affected in both towns, respectively.
Posted inArticle
Hurricane watch in effect, as Henri makes its way toward Southern New England
The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for most of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, as Tropical Storm Henri makes its way northward, with expected landfall in Rhode Island Sunday night.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Members named to new state commission on shoreline access in Rhode Island
State lawmakers are taking another step forward in their plans to examine shoreline access in Rhode Island with appointments to a new House commission.
