Monday, December 31, 2012
A look back at the biggest news stories from 2012 in North Kingstown.
From union battles to elections to a 413-foot turbine to hurricanes, 2012 kept us busy. With 2013 on the horizon, we've decided to take a look back at the biggest stories from the past year. In a controversial 3-2 vote, the North Kingstown Town Council passed a new ordinance that mandated 24-hour shifts for the town's firefighters and made other significant changes to their schedules and pay. The ordinance moved firefighters from 10- and 14-hour shifts to 24 shifts and upped their weekly work schedule from 42 to 56 hours per week. According to Town Manager Michael Embury, the change could save the district $1.2 million in the first year. Since its passage, Local 1651 (the NK firefighters' union) has battled the change in letters, public …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The newly-formed North Kingstown School Committee elected its chair and vice-chair Monday night.
In its first meeting together, the 2012 North Kingstown School Committee elected its officers for the next two years. Kimberly Page will remain chair with Larry Ceresi as vice-chair following the 6-1 vote. Bill Mudge was the only opposing vote. The swift vote was in stark contrast to the previous biennial organizational meeting back in December 2010, when it took a whopping nine motions for the committee to name a chair and vice-chair. The committee welcomed incoming members Cheryl Clarkin and Robert Jones, who were the top two vote-getters in last month's election, respectively. The two filled the vacant seats of Melvoid Benson, who chose not to run for re-election, and Richard Welch, who was elected to the North Kingstown Town Council …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Robert Craven beat incumbent Laurence Ehrhardt for a seat in the General Assembly.
This January will mark the first time since 2005 that Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt will not be up at State House as a local representative after he was defeating by Democrat Robert “Bob” Craven in last week’s general election. Ehrhardt, who won his last election in 2010 against Democrat Richard Welch by almost 1,300 votes fell to Craven by more than 600 this time around. “I was very surprised with the results,” said Ehrhardt. ”I had no feeling at all that it would go this way.” Both men had very different paths to election night this year that both made headlines over this summer. Ehrhardt faced an unexpected primary against Republican Sharon Gamba, who claimed that Ehrhardt was initially going to step down and she was picked to be his successor…
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sen. James Sheehan, who retained his seat for a 6th term, thanks his supporters.
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Dear editor, I wish to thank all of the voters who supported me in my re-election to the Rhode Island State Senate. I appreciate the vote of confidence and will affirm that confidence by again rolling-up my sleeves and taking-on the tough issues that face our state. Specifically, I will continue to focus on making our state government perform more efficiently and effectively; help our workers get the job skills they need to succeed: and continue to work to improve our state’s overall business climate. I also wish to thank all those who placed signs on their lawns; walked door-to-door; worked the polls or simply passed along a kind word or two about my candidacy to a friend or neighbor. Again, I thank you for the honor and privilege …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Mail ballots have finally been counted.
Two days after North Kingstown residents cast their votes, the official results of the 2012 General Election are in for Town Council and School Committee. The 1,100 or so mail-in/absentee ballots didn't change the final make-up of either government body from the unofficial results of Tuesday night. Prior to the inclusion of the mail-in ballots, Republican Carol Hueston held the fifth and final spot on the council by just 6 votes over Independent Colin O'Sullivan. The 2012 North Kingstown Town Council will be as follows: Elizabeth Dolan, Kerry McKay, Kevin Maloney, Richard Welch and Carol Hueston. For North Kingstown School Committee, Cheryl Clarkin and Robert Jones have been elected while Lynda Avanzato has been re-elected. The three will…
A breakdown of voter turnout across North Kingstown.
Election Day 2012 saw a strong voter turnout in North Kingstown, with an overall 63 percent turnout across town. What were the busiest polls? Which location had the highest turnout? How did each precinct vote? For a full breakdown of how each district voted, click the link accompanying each precinct. Masonic Lodge Stony Lane Elementary School SMH-Quidnessett Elementary School Davisville Middle School Slocum Grange North Kingstown High School Cold Spring Community Center Hamilton Elementary School Wickford Middle School
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Board of Elections is still counting mail-in ballots.
North Kingstown is still awaiting the totals from approximately 1,100 mail-in ballots to determine the final make-up of both its town council and school committee. According to the State Board of Elections, the results of the counts from mail-in ballots across Rhode Island will not be released until Thursday afternoon. These 1,100 or so ballots will be critical to determining the final configuration of the North Kingstown School Committee and Town Council. For town council, a mere 66 votes separate the fourth, fifth and sixth place vote-getters. Currently, Republican Carol Hueston holds the final and fifth seat by only six votes above Independent Colin O'Sullivan. For school committee, Democrat Lynda Avanzato holds the third and final …
Starting in 2014, the NK School Committee will go from seven members to five.
All four local questions on the ballot in North Kingstown were approved with Tuesday’s election, including the institution of term limits for local elected officials and the elimination of two seats on the school committee. Starting in 2014, the North Kingstown School Committee will go from seven to five members when the terms of William Mudge, Larry Ceresi, Kimberly Page and John Boscardin expire. During that election, voters will only be filling two rather than four seats. The measure passed with 55.3 percent of the vote – with approximately 7,070 votes in favor versus 5,705 against. Check below for the full vote tallies and percentages as of Wednesday at noon. Please note: these totals do NOT include mail-in ballots at this time. The …
Mail-in ballots will decide the final make-up of two local parties.
Both races for town council and school committee in North Kingstown are still tight as candidates await the final results. Though all 11 precincts in town have been reported, election officials still have to factor in the 1,100 or so mail-in/absentee ballots, which are expected to be counted by Wednesday morning. (Check back later for official results once the mail-in ballots have been counted.) According to North Kingstown Town Clerk Jeannette Alyward, vote turnout was 63 percent with about 13,000 votes cast. Six votes separate the fifth- and sixth-place vote-getters in the race for Town Council. With only five seats on the council and 14 candidates, mail-in ballots will play a big role in who gets to sit at the council table in …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Most polling locations across North Kingstown are experiencing strong turnout today.
For more election updates, follow our coverage here. Voter turnout has been strong in North Kingstown this morning since polls opened at 7 a.m. At Davisville Middle School, about 50 people were waiting outside around 11 a.m. today waiting to get inside the building to vote. Once inside, another 30 (or more) people were waiting in line to cast their ballot. "I waited about 45 minutes before I voted," said Evan Charello. According to Bill Maccarone (a campaign worker for Steve Campo), "Quite a few people saw the line and turned around." Earlier this morning, one of the voting machines at the school went down, which caused further delays, said poll worker Richard August. Though voter turnout is always higher during a presidential election …
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Davisville Middle School
200 School St, North Kingstown, RI
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Beachy
3:58 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
I agree! more ›