Chris Allen


Latest Articles:

School Department Makes Plea for Maximum Funding Increase

The Middletown School Department is seeking an additional $1.1 million over last year toward their fiscal year 2023 budget, a 4 percent increase and the maximum allowable by state law. Facing a $1.2 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year, Supt. Rosemarie Kraeger, flanked by the department’s finance staff, made a plea to councilors during a May 25 special... READ MORE >

Middletown School Building Committee Forges Ahead

The Middletown School Building Committee, a cross section of volunteers and town officials charged with designing the next submission to the Rhode Island Department of Education, has continued its work despite the host of unknowns now facing the district. The committee held another meeting at the Oliphant administrative building on May 31, welcoming educational consultants to discuss the next steps... READ MORE >

Regionalization Bill Passes Senate Committee

A pair of General Assembly bills introduced by state senators representing Newport and Middletown cleared an initial hurdle on May 24 after being unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government. The seven-member panel considers all legislation and matters affecting housing, municipal government and transportation. The separate bills, which will now head to the full Senate for... READ MORE >

Memorial Day Weekend Marks One Year Since Thames Street Slaying

The prosecution of two men charged in the stabbing death of a University of Rhode Island student is still working its way through the Newport County Superior Court system one year later. The incident took place during a 2021 Memorial Day weekend party held at a short-term rental property on lower Thames Street. The owner of the property, Chris Bicho,... READ MORE >

Middletown School Committee Approves Layoffs

The Middletown School Committee unanimously approved a formal recommendation from the superintendent’s office on May 18 for a “reduction in workforce” by sending layoff notices to 17 staff members, including 10 certified teachers. The vote was part of the annual process, mandated by state law, that requires school departments to balance the following fiscal year’s budget. The list of layoffs... READ MORE >

Recreational Cannabis Approved

The Rhode Island General Assembly approved a bill legalizing adult use of marijuana during a May 24 vote. Gov. Dan McKee held a signing ceremony at the State House on May 25, making the Ocean State the 19th that allows for recreational use. The bill restricts the use and possession of cannabis to those 21-and-over, decriminalizes possession of up to... READ MORE >

Middletown Sends Unification Bill to Smith Hill

MIDDLETOWN By Christopher Allen After weeks of behind the scenes negotiations among Middletown public officials, the city of Newport, and representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Middletown Town Council unanimously approved on May 16 a pair of legislative bills to be sent to the State House that would pave the way for the creation of a regionalized... READ MORE >

Board Recommends Changes to Middletown Center Proposal

The Middletown Planning Board held the second of two meetings on May 12 to vet the proposal to redevelop 15 acres of townowned property on the corner of West Main Road and Coddington Highway. “While we’re very excited about the prospects for ‘Middletown Center’ and the positives it could bring for the entire community, we’re not at the point where... READ MORE >

Middletown to Identify Uses for Fed COVID Funds

The Middletown Planning Board met on May 12 to discuss if certain projects meet the criteria for federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The town is slated to receive $4.75 million in ARPA funding, part of the rescue package approved by Congress last year. Under the legislation, municipalities must dedicate the funds by Dec. 31, 2024 and spend themby Dec.... READ MORE >

Middletown Lawyers Question Executive Sessions

An attorney advising Middletown Education officials told the School Committee at a May 9 meeting that by holding deliberations on regional unification with the city of Newport, the Town Council may be in violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act. “As a [public] body, you could be subject to a finding by the attorney general’s office or Superior Court that... READ MORE >