Press & News

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The Public’s Radio — ‘I have real concern’: URI coastal scientist tracks decades of coastal erosion data

By Luis Hernandez — Severe storms and rising sea-levels are reshaping Rhode Island’s shoreline in dramatic ways. As part of our ongoing series on coastal erosion, Morning Host Luis Hernandez spoke with J.P. Walsh, a coastal scientist at the University of Rhode Island, who is trying to quantify just how much beach we’ve lost in recent decades.

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The Public’s Radio — Dude, where’s my beach?

By Alex Nunes — The summer beach season is here, but the beaches themselves look very different this year. Coastal communities are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair shoreline damage from last winter’s severe storms. The damage is a warning sign to Rhode Island of the tough road ahead as climate-related sea level rise and increasingly heavy storms continue to swallow up the beaches.

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The Public’s Radio — ‘It does not look good’: Westerly solicitor in the hot seat over shoreline access representation

By Alex Nunes — Advocates for coastal access point to the town’s tepid pursuit of beach rights-of-way, questionable changes to boat mooring policies, and highly restrictive parking rules in exclusive shoreline areas. Now access advocates say the general public faces a newer threat: Westerly’s own town solicitor. They say his past actions in shoreline access matters continue to raise doubts about whose interests he’s serving in critical ongoing legal cases.

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The Public’s Radio — Controversial Westerly town councilor is center stage in latest skirmish over shoreline access

By Alex Nunes — The Westerly Town Council could soon consider a proposal to enter into settlement discussions over a lawsuit challenging the public’s right to access a popular beach and conservation area in Watch Hill. But shoreline access advocates are raising conflict of interest questions about the new town councilor who proposed the idea.

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