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    Authorities allege stolen identities were used to obtain SNAP benefits in Mass. and R.I.

    Four Charged in $1 Million SNAP & Pandemic Aid Fraud Spanning Rhode Island and Massachusetts

    Sailboats competing in the Ida Lewis Distance Race off Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island

    Ida Lewis Distance Race Returns to Newport August 12th for 24-Hour Offshore Challenge

    Hayley Williams & Friends to Perform at Newport Folk Festival 2026

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    Authorities allege stolen identities were used to obtain SNAP benefits in Mass. and R.I.

    Four Charged in $1 Million SNAP & Pandemic Aid Fraud Spanning Rhode Island and Massachusetts

    Sailboats competing in the Ida Lewis Distance Race off Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island

    Ida Lewis Distance Race Returns to Newport August 12th for 24-Hour Offshore Challenge

    Jerry Kirby honored at the MLK Community Center annual meeting in Newport, Rhode Island

    Buzzing Around Newport: MLK Center Honors Jerry Kirby as a Keeper of the Dream

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    Aerial view of Narragansett’s rocky Atlantic coastline with oceanfront homes and sweeping water views in Rhode Island.

    Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty Sets a Record in Narragansett’s Anawan Cliffs

    The Walcott Avenue Collection, three waterfront properties in Jamestown overlooking Narragansett Bay

    The Walcott Avenue Collection – A Rare Waterfront Legacy in Jamestown. Three Properties, Endless Possibility.

    Front exterior of luxury home at 14 Kay Boulevard in Middletown RI

    Discover 14 Kay Boulevard: A Turnkey Coastal Compound Worth Experiencing in Person

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    Portrait of Janet M. Watkinson, longtime Newport nurse, educator and Trinity Church volunteer

    Obituary: Janet M. Watkinson (1946-2026)

    Nathaniel David Anderson of Newport, Rhode Island, remembered for his humor, love of family, cooking, and beach adventures.

    Obituary: Nathaniel David Anderson (1957-2026)

    Eugene R. Bob Pattison Jr.

    Obituary: Eugene R. “Bob” Pattison Jr. (1976-2026)

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    Portrait of Janet M. Watkinson, longtime Newport nurse, educator and Trinity Church volunteer

    Obituary: Janet M. Watkinson (1946-2026)

    Jerry Kirby honored at the MLK Community Center annual meeting in Newport, Rhode Island

    Buzzing Around Newport: MLK Center Honors Jerry Kirby as a Keeper of the Dream

    Newport Folk Fest 2026 Tickets

    2026 Newport Folk Festival Sells Out in Under One Second — Again

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Newport Pell Bridge Off Ramp

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Audrain Concours 2022

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McClennen’s Gamecock Struts to IC37 North American Championship

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Witnesses have been sending us photos and video fr Witnesses have been sending us photos and video from the devastating Thursday night fire at Castle Hill Inn. DM us if you have footage to share. We’ll update as details come in. 📸 @sevrinadow #castlehill #newportri #newportbuzz
Fire ripped through Castle Hill late Thursday nigh Fire ripped through Castle Hill late Thursday night, sending emergency crews racing to the iconic Ocean Drive waterfront property. The blaze broke out around 9:55 p.m., prompting a heavy response from police, fire, and rescue units, all of whom were on scene battling the situation. Details remain limited, and it’s unclear what sparked the fire or whether anyone was injured. 10 fire trucks now on scene. 🚨 This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates. 📸 Omar #castlehill #newportri #newportbuzz
Federal prosecutors say more than $1 million in ta Federal prosecutors say more than $1 million in taxpayer-funded benefits meant for struggling families in Massachusetts and Rhode Island was siphoned off in a brazen fraud scheme that allegedly used stolen identities to bankroll a local restaurant. Three defendants were arrested and a fourth charged in the case, which authorities say relied on 115 stolen identities to fraudulently obtain about $440,000 in SNAP benefits from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, along with hundreds of thousands more in pandemic aid — pushing the total haul past $1 million. The defendants named in the case are: * Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg, Mass. * Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, Mass. * Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, Mass. * Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, of Fitchburg, Mass., who faces additional charges including wire fraud, SNAP fraud and money laundering According to charging documents, the defendants created 24 fake SNAP “households,” all supposedly living in two apartments in Providence, despite many of the stolen identities belonging to people who lived in other states. Prosecutors say the operation centered on El Primo Restaurant in Leominster, where counterfeit passport images — some traced by metadata to inside or near the restaurant — were allegedly used to support fraudulent benefit applications filed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Once approved, investigators allege the EBT cards were used to buy bulk meat and food from wholesalers, stocking the restaurant at no cost. The food was then cooked, sold at full price, and converted into pure profit. Searches tied to the case uncovered Massachusetts and Rhode Island EBT cards, fake documents listing Providence addresses, and handwritten ledgers containing more than 100 stolen identities, authorities said. If convicted, the defendants face years — and potentially decades — in federal prison, along with steep fines. #rhodeisland #massachusetts #fraud
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