Portsmouth opposes legalization of recreational marijuana
PORTSMOUTH — A Portsmouth High School senior threw his support behind a Town Council resolution opposing a bill that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Rhode Island. Council member...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Report recommends new 2-story police station for Portsmouth
Above: Police Chief Thomas Lee points to a plaque marking the year when the current police station was built: 1975. The department has long since outgrown the current building, he says. PORTSMOUTH —...
View ArticleDOT to present Portsmouth road ‘improvements’
Above: R.I. Department of Transportation rendering of the proposed reconfiguration of the Park Avenue/East Main Road intersection. PORTSMOUTH — A state plan to block access to Chase Road from Park...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Portsmouth residents slam DOT’s plan for intersection
Above: R.I. Department of Transportation rendering of the proposed reconfiguration of the Park Avenue/East Main Road intersection. PORTSMOUTH — Town Council members and local residents had a strong...
View ArticlePortsmouth hearing on farm events set for June 8
PORTSMOUTH — A proposed amendment to the town’s zoning ordinance that would regulate “non-farm activities” on land that is primarily farmland will go before a public hearing on June 8. The Town Council...
View ArticlePortsmouth makes provisional offer to administrator candidate
PORTSMOUTH — After interviewing the three remaining candidates for the position of town administrator Saturday, the Town Council voted 7-0 to make a provisional offer to one of them. Council President...
View ArticlePortsmouth mulls options for Navy tank farms
PORTSMOUTH — The town is taking an approach-with-caution stance toward the potential development of two tank farms in the Melville area that the U.S. Navy deemed surplus property in 2008. About 225...
View ArticlePortsmouth creates school resource officer position
PORTSMOUTH — Creating what the police chief and school superintendent say is a much-needed position, the Town Council Monday night voted unanimously to contribute $35,000 toward the hiring of a school...
View ArticlePortsmouth drops plan to charge residents for rescue runs
PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council has eliminated a plan to charge Portsmouth residents for ambulance service beyond what is paid by their insurance. The new proposal, intended as a revenue-generator to...
View ArticlePortsmouth attorney worked right up until the end
Above: Vernon Gorton Jr. marches in the Procession of Saint Anthony during the Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club’s annual Saint Anthony’s Feast in July of last year. Mr. Gorton was a...
View ArticleNaval executive to be Portsmouth’s next manager
Above: Richard Rainer’s previous job was chief operations officer for NATO Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands. PORTSMOUTH — Back in March, some members of the Town Council expressed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Portsmouth police station’s price tag: $10 million
Above: Preliminary rendering of what the proposed new Portsmouth police station could look like. PORTSMOUTH — The public got its first glance Tuesday night at plans for a new two-level police station...
View ArticleLetter: Portsmouth zoning change would hurt public welfare
To the editor: An open letter to the Portsmouth Town Council: “No farms, no food.” Preserving local food producing farmland is critical for local communities. Unfortunately, a proposed zoning change...
View ArticleLetter: Zoning amendment would benefit Portsmouth
To the editor: We urge the community to attend this Mondays hearing at Town Hall in regards to special use events at our local farms. It’s wonderful that our farmers in Portsmouth have done such a nice...
View ArticlePortsmouth farmland zoning amendment to be heard Monday
Above: Nancy Parker Wilson, general manager of Greenvale Vineyards, discusses a Chardonnay with guests during a wine tasting in 2013. “The economy is not scaled in our favor. Everything that we do is...
View ArticlePortsmouth farmers may seek permits for special events
Above: Dairy farmer Louis Escobar of Highland Farm could not attend Monday’s Town Council meeting because he was injured in a fall from his tractor Thursday morning. This photo was taken on his farm in...
View ArticlePublic hearing on Portsmouth budget is tonight
PORTSMOUTH — Taxpayers will have the opportunity tonight to comment on a proposed $58.26 million budget that’s expected to have little impact on the tax rate. The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the...
View ArticleFew show for Portsmouth budget hearing
PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council breezed through Portsmouth’s 2016 fiscal budget in 37 minutes Wednesday night with little comment. Larry Fitzmorris of the taxpayer watchdog group Portsmouth Concerned...
View ArticlePortsmouth police officers commended for saving man’s life
Above: Portsmouth Police Lt. Steven Hoetzel (middle) and Sgt. Stephen Burns (right) are congratulated by Deputy Fire Chief Michael O’Brien at Monday’s Town Council meeting. PORTSMOUTH — Two Portsmouth...
View ArticleNo tax increase in Portsmouth’s ’16 budget
PORTSMOUTH — In a 5-1 vote, the Town Council Monday night approved a $58.2 million budget for fiscal year 2016 that calls for no tax increase. While the budget accounts for a hike in the tax levy of...
View Article