Sunday, August 16, 2026
Next Saturday: support Animal Rescue RI
Join us for a night of fun at the Pup & Kitty Crawl!
On Saturday, August 22nd, from 4–8 PM, crawl your way through two great spots in Narragansett, RI. Hosted by The Surf Shack Bar & Restaurant and Boon Street Marketplace.
Each attendee will receive one free drink and snacks at both locations, making this the paw-fect way to sip, snack, and support the pets at Animal Rescue Rhode Island.
Must be 21+ to participate. The event is free, but you must be registered. A $15 suggested donation helps us continue caring for animals in need.
And yes, your four-legged pups are invited to join the fun too!
Come and raise a glass (or paw!) and join the fun!
Dancing since ‘Time Immemorial’
Narragansetts celebrate 351st annual meeting
By MIMI REITZ Beacon Media Contributing Writer
This story was originally published in the Warwick Beacon, a publication partner of Ocean State Stories.
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this story in its original form and all other Beacon stories by clicking
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Indigenous men, women, and children danced with full hearts
and thunderous energy under a beating sun last weekend, swirling traditional
beaded, feathered, embroidered clothing across a field on Narragansett land as
their voices sung out to the thump of sacred drums. For these Narragansetts,
their annual powwow is both a celebration of the past and a declaration of
their continued presence.
While the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary,
this land has hosted these same dances and sacred traditions since “time
immemorial”, said Narragansett Chief Anthony Stanton. The Narragansett powwow —
the oldest recorded powwow in North America — brings thousands of Indigenous
tribe members together to celebrate the green corn harvest each August on the
sixth moon of the tribe’s calendar.
Today, the weekend means the heartfelt reunion of family and
friends from near and far, the chance to honor centuries of ancestral tradition
in community, and an invitation to the public to learn more about their
Indigenous neighbors, whose sovereign nation still thrives in
Charlestown.
“This is important to us because before there was the United
States of America, before there was the state of Rhode Island, this is the
territory of the Narragansett Indian tribe. We were here first,” said Chief
Stanton. The tribe cites archaeological evidence and oral history which
establishes their presence in what is today Rhode Island over 30,000 years ago.
Over centuries of bloody persecution since the first European colonists
arrived, the tribe survived massacres, war, disease, slavery, detribalization
and erasure to be here today.
Mary Starlight Stanton Brown, 91, board member of the
Narragansett Indian Church, has lived on Narragansett land her whole life and
has attended the powwow since she was young.
“It gives us hope and encouragement that one more year, we’re still here. We still live,” she said. “In all these years, nothing much has changed when it comes to August meeting.”
351 years and counting
According to recorded history, the Narragansett tribe has
held their powwow consecutively for the past 351 years. “It’s an important part
of our own history and legacy and continuation as a people,” explained Lorén
Spears, Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter and a member of the
Narragansett tribe. “It was something that we were able to maintain through all
of these years of conquest and colonization.”
The powwow brings together Indigenous people from across the
country. Chief Stanton said there were about 24 different tribes represented at
the event, creating a space for intertribal dialogue, support, and
celebration.
Larry Wilson, chair of the Eastern Pequot Tribal Council,
said that while some aspects of ceremonies between tribes differ, powwow events
always “celebrate in earnest the love that we have for each other, the love
that we have for our traditions, and what it is that makes Native Americans
strong, prosperous, loving, and healthy.” The annual meeting “reminds us of how
special the bond is between the tribes and among the tribes.”
By inviting members of the public to attend their sacred,
spirited meeting, many in the Narragansett tribe hope Rhode Islanders and other
visitors will better understand their community, history and traditions — and
recognize their contributions to this nation.
Tomaquag welcomes
The Tomaquag Museum invites visitors year-round to learn
about the Indigenous cultures of Southern New England, providing a first-person
voice on their culture and history through engaging exhibits and community
projects. The Tomaquag team shares dialogue with the public in their mission to
“reconcile the past and empower present and future generations.”
“There is no U.S. history without Indigenous peoples
history. There was no creation of this country without Indigenous people,” said
Spears. The museum’s new exhibit, “Revolution to Reclamation, Freedom Through
Indigenous Sovereignty” commemorates America’s 250th anniversary by exploring
Indigenous cultures’ contributions to its creation. The exhibit will run
through April 22, 2027.
Indigenous people were not merely witnesses to the creation
of the United States — they participated in it. Large numbers of members of the
Oneida, Tuscarora, Mohican, and the Stockbridge-Munsee tribes served alongside
American patriots during the Revolutionary War, including under George
Washington at Valley Forge. And Indigenous people have continued to serve —
maintaining the highest number of service per capita in the U.S. Armed
Forces.
Throughout this nation’s history, Indigenous individuals
have participated in every tenet of American life — from high-level politicians
and Congressmen, to astronauts, Olympians, and ballerinas. “Indigenous people
are here every day being part of this country,” said Spears. While tribal
governments maintain sovereignty, continuing their cultural knowledge
generationally, she emphasized that their members participate in American
society every day, saying “there’s this complexity that’s happening.”
Spears said the museum’s exhibits can spark “Aha!” moments
for visitors, who “leave having an understanding of what it means to be
Indigenous and what is still here.” The museum is open to the public on
Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the team at Tomaquag is
also available for schools and other groups interested in learning more through
presentations and dialogue.
Sharing a culture
At this year’s powwow, the thriving Indigenous culture and
community of today drew thousands to Narragansett land. Indigenous artists sold
handmade crafts, food vendors served traditional cuisine, including bison
burgers, fry bread, and smoked salmon. And under the auspices of Kawtontawitt,
Chief Sachem and Tribal Medicine Man John Brown, traditional ceremonies
unfolded throughout the day.
Dr. Darlene Flores, a traditional Medicine Keeper for her
Taino community (the Indigenous people of the Caribbean), spoke between dances
and ceremonies, introducing the public to the sacred instruments in use and
narrating the meaning of each ancient tradition. Tribal members thanked the
Great Spirit, their Earth Mother, their ancestors, and their elders for the
tribe’s continuation — a gratitude made visible as gaggles of children danced
eagerly alongside some of the oldest members in the community.
After years in which practicing their traditional culture
and honoring their ancient beliefs were shunned and made illegal, sharing
generations of Indigenous knowledge with young tribe members today is often the
most meaningful part of the weekend.
“I like to see the next generation of children out there
sharing culture, being part of the community,” said Spears, whose children and
grandchildren participated in the events. “Seeing them out there in their
traditional clothes, just feeling that pride of who they are as an Indigenous
person.”
As the drum of each new song began, the children couldn’t
wait — they buzzed with excitement, tapping their feet and stretching their
arms at the edge of the dance circle before bounding in, carefully matching the
steps of their elders. The voices that carried across the field and the gentle
patter of these feet had been heard and felt before them for generations. And
as they learned the steps, it was clear they would continue long after the
weekend was over.
Editor’s note: Lorén Spears is a member of the Ocean State Stories
Advisory Board.
Changing how much sweet-tasting food people eat may not change how much they crave or enjoy sweetness after all.
Cutting sweet foods doesn’t curb cravings or improve health
Bournemouth University
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Researchers also found no meaningful differences in several measures related to
heart disease and diabetes risk among people who ate diets with high, low, or
average levels of sweetness.
The findings raise questions about public health advice that encourages people to reduce sweet-tasting foods as a way to combat overweight and obesity.
The researchers argue that the more important targets may be sugar
intake and energy-dense foods rather than sweetness itself.
Revolution Wind project on track for completion this year, developer says
Has fought off attacks from the Trump regime
By John Moritz, Rhode Island Current
The offshore Revolution Wind project is nearing completion after nearly three years of work based out of the State Pier in New London, Connecticut, officials with Danish wind energy developer Ørsted said Thursday.
In a presentation on the company’s quarterly financial results, Ørsted Chief Executive Rasmus Errboe said the project is more than 95% complete, with 61 out of 65 turbines fully installed. The four remaining turbines are on track to be installed over the coming months, Errboe added, allowing the project to reach full commercial operation by the end of 2026.
Revolution Wind is the first offshore wind project contracted to supply electricity to customers in Connecticut. The installation, which is located off the coast of Rhode Island, began sending some power to the electric grid in March, when it was about 90% complete.
Once finished, the project will have a peak capacity of 704 megawatts, enough electricity to power roughly 350,000 homes. (While the project is supported financially through power-purchase agreements with utilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the electricity it generates is distributed throughout the New England electrical grid.)
Assembly work on Revolution Wind is based at the State Pier in New London, where gigantic sections of turbine shafts and blades as long as a football field are loaded onto specially-built installation vessels for transport to the offshore work area. One of those vessels, the Wind Scylla, was positioned in the vicinity of Revolution Wind project on Thursday, according to marine traffic data.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Charlestown Bans Data Centers, Battery Storage Facilities
Good for us!
By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff
While there is currently no developer proposing a data
center or battery storage project for Charlestown, the Town Council was spurred
to both based on growing controversy in Quonset and Smithfield.
And while the town is likely a poor candidate for data
center projects — like much of southern Rhode Island because residents rely on
private wells — council members were aware enough to say never say never.
“Data centers gobble up the land,” council member Bonnie Van
Slyke, the prime sponsor of the ordinance, said at the Aug. 11 Town Council
meeting. “They use a lot of electricity, they need a lot of water to cool the
systems. They’re something we should be looking at very carefully if we want to
allow them going forward.”
The ordinance was unanimously backed by the Planning
Commission last month.
Data centers, among other new development, have been a hot
topic in even provincial Rhode Island this year. These supersized developments
most commonly look like windowless big-box stores, but instead of merchandise,
they are filled with vast arrays of computer banks running at all hours of the
day and night.
Data centers seemingly sprung up overnight following the
pandemic, with the rise of artificial intelligence programs that require
increasingly more and more computer power to function.
Despite Growing Alarm, Trump Says Record USS Lincoln Deployment ‘Not Nearly Long Enough’
More contempt from Trump toward sailors and soldiers
Stephen Prager for Common Dreams
Earlier this week, military publications detailed
deteriorating mental health aboard the ship, where about 5,000 sailors and
Marines have been deployed for more than 260 days and have gone roughly 200
days without returning to port.
Following earlier reports of food shortages, faulty
plumbing, and grueling 12-16 hour workdays, the Military Times reported that multiple sailors have attempted to jump
overboard.
The Navy has declined to say whether the incidents were
suicide attempts and has said it has “not observed an increase in suicidal
ideations or attempts aboard the ship.”
Last week, more than 200 spouses and other family members
met with senior Navy leaders in San Diego to raise concerns about conditions
aboard the carrier, including sailors’ mental health and risks of suicide and
self-harm, according to Stars and Stripes.
Second Powassan case of 2026 confirmed
RI health officials urge precautions to reduce tick exposure
By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current
A Newport County man in his 70s tested positive for the virus after experiencing symptoms in late July, the Rhode Island Department of Health confirmed. State health officials did not divulge his current condition or whether the man was hospitalized.
The man is the Ocean State’s 10th documented case of Powassan since the virus was first reported in the state in 2016 and follows another case reported in June, when a Providence County man in his 60s went to the hospital after first experiencing symptoms in May. The Providence County man spent time in the hospital but was recovering at home when RIDOH shared the case details with the public on June 26.
Before this year, the last two reports of Powassan in Rhode Island were in 2024. A Washington County woman in her 80s died after developing neurological symptoms related to Powassan disease in 2023.
Powassan is a viral infection much rarer than that more well-known tickborne illness, Lyme disease, which is bacterial. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received around 89,000 reported cases of Lyme in 2023. RIDOH data cites 2,563 cases of Lyme in Rhode Island in 2024.
There were 76 documented Powassan cases nationwide in 2025 — a record-breaking high. Twenty-seven occurred in New England, and from 2016 through 2025, there were about 397 reported nationwide.
In the Northeast, the virus is carried by Ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer or blacklegged tick.
Florida MAGA guy turns down debate with Republican primary opponent
Mellor declines RI GOP debate with Skoly in CD2 primary
By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current
 |
| Republican Vic Mellor is shown at a State House event in support of Second Amendment rights in May 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) |
And it doesn’t look like they will before the Sept. 9 primary.
Mellor declined an invitation to participate in a party-led debate against his GOP-endorsed rival, Rhode Island GOP Chair Allyn Meyers confirmed Monday.
Both candidates were invited on Aug. 4 to participate in a debate. Skoly promptly responded, accepting the invitation, but Mellor’s staff held off and promised they would respond soon, Meyers said.
 |
| Dr. Stephen Skoly has the endorsement of the Rhode Island Republican Party and the desire to debate his opponent. (Contributed photo) |
“Given Mr. Mellor’s decision not to participate, an August 14 debate between the two candidates is no longer feasible,” Meyers wrote via email Monday.
It’s not every election two Rhode Island Republicans run for the same seat, but this year there are two GOP primaries: one in the 2nd Congressional District, and another in the gubernatorial race. The purpose of hosting a debate was straightforward, Meyers said.
“If we are serious about building a professional, independent state party, we must develop our own platforms for Republican candidates to communicate directly with Republican voters rather than relying exclusively on traditional media organizations to frame our primary contests.”
Republicans make up only 16% of the 366,603 registered voters in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District. Democrats account for 30% while most voters are unaffiliated.
Friday, August 14, 2026
Trump Has Quietly Throttled an Agency Devoted to the Safety of American Healthcare
More foolish, dangerous cuts
In a July 15 letter, the small Department of Health and Human Services agency known as AHRQ told researchers it was halting at least 104 grants, many aimed at improving patient safety. Although Congress appropriated $345 million for AHRQ for this fiscal year, the agency has spent less than $15 million on grants and hasn’t issued a new one in over a year, according to a review of federal records. About 75% of agency staffers have been fired or quit since Donald Trump took office last year, according to HHS.
Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have sought to slash the federal government’s investment in biomedical research, terminating grants and forcing scientists out of agencies across the health department. The gutting of AHRQ strikes some of the administration’s critics as particularly shortsighted, though, because of the agency’s noncontroversial focus on patient safety and its overall alignment with Trump and Kennedy’s “Make American Healthy Again” campaign against chronic illness.
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