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Rhode Island
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.
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
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.
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
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
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to the attorney general’s office, the report will detail the diocese’s handling of clergy abuse over decades.
While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.
Neronha’s investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha’s office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.
Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.
Rhode Islanders who plan to join in the global celebration of Irish culture can choose from big and small events, including a parade in Providence.
The March 17 holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, and many big events will be held the weekend of March 14-15. Originally a modest, religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day today is a vibrant, boisterous holiday observed by millions of people regardless of their heritage.
The Providence parade is March 21.
We’ve rounded up 10 more events to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But first, are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!
Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun in Rhode Island:
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.
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.
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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