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You Won’t Believe Which SouthCoast Town Has the Cleanest Air

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You Won’t Believe Which SouthCoast Town Has the Cleanest Air


Air is one of those things you almost never think about, until it starts to feel harder to breathe.

For those with allergies or asthma, getting a breath of fresh air is extremely important, which means so is the air quality where they live.

A new study from HouseFresh.com recently crunched the numbers from IQAir to figure out which cities had the best air quality in America, and a tiny SouthCoast town ranked pretty high.

As someone who feels the effects of seasonal allergies every year, especially the fall allergy season, finding fresh air always seems like a must when the weather starts to turn.

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READ MORE: Superfood That Help Tackle New England Allergy Season

But with manmade pollutants, wildfires hazing up the skies and humidity often on the rise, the air isn’t always as clean as we might want it to be.

Massachusetts Air Quality Alert Days 2025

Air quality alerts days rose into the double digits for summer 2025, warning residents of poor or hazardous air throughout the state. With wildfire season still underway, that number could increase again.

HouseFresh.com looked at every city with populations over 10,000 and ranked them from best air quality to worst. Then they created a chart showing which city had the best air quality in each state.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island Cities With Best Air Quality

While overall Waimea, Hawaii had the best air quality in the country, North Kingstown helped Rhode Island ranked #5 overall and Acushnet landed Massachusetts #9.

Courtesy Frank C. Grace

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Courtesy Frank C. Grace

Yes, of all the cities and towns in Massachusetts, it’s Acushnet where residents are breathing a little easier.

READ MORE: Acushnet Creamery Turned Your Favorite Childhood Cereal into a Dessert Drink

Honestly I would have thought a mountainous town in the Berkshires would have the cleanest air in MA, but the numbers don’t lie and Acushnet ranked highest overall.

Rhode Island Ranks Among Best In U.S. For Air Quality

Perhaps more impressive was that Rhode Island in its entirety, ranked as the state with the third best air quality behind Hawaii and Alaska.

So it seems that when you step outside this fall in Southern New England, you can feel free to breathe in deeply.

A Look at King Richard’s Faire in Its New Home at Edaville

King Richard’s Faire has moved its realm of Carvershire from its original home of over four decades to its new site, the former Edaville Family Theme Park.

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Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

Best Leaf Peeping Drives on the SouthCoast and Beyond

Ready for scenic fall leaf peeping drives?

We are too. So we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite tree-lined routes that allow you to enjoy the season’s changing colors from the waterfront to the woodlands.

No matter where you live on the SouthCoast and what type of leaf peeping you’re looking to do, we’ve got a drive for that.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

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Explore Land and Sea at Bristol’s Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium

Need a day of hiking, biking and seeing a 33-foot North Atlantic Right Whale replica? Then you need to head to the Rhode Island Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol.

You can hike through various habitats, enjoy a peaceful pondside picnic and even enjoy an interactive aquarium full of native fish and sea creatures.

Fun for the whole family can be found at this hidden gem of Rhode Island.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall





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Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash

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Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash


Local News

The two victims were identified as a husband and wife from Rhode Island, local officials said.

A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.

Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.

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The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.

Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.

The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said. 

Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.

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Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event


Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.

The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.

Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.

Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)

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“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”

The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.

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According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.


Local News

“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Col. Michael J. Winquist said.

A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.  

Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.

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The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.

That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said. 

When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.

First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

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Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.

The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.

Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.

Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.

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Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.

The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.

“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.

Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.

Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.

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“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.

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