Tagged: Westerly

Westerly residents may be awakened to the sounds of helicopters overhead Thursday morning.  Continuing a practice begun in 1997, the town of Westerly is conducting aerial spraying against mosquitos.

The targeted areas are portions of Chapman Swamp and the swamp area adjacent to Hespar Drive.

The town uses Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium which prevents larval mosquitoes from developing into adults.  The state Department of Environmental Management says it safe to humans and the environment.

Spraying begins Thursday at 7:00am and continues through 2:00pm.

The town of Westerly is close to fulfilling its promise to rebuild the Misquamicut Beach area by Memorial Day.  The town has made great strides since Superstorm Sandy left a path of destruction last fall.

It’s not perfect yet, but Misquamicut Beach looks a lot better than it did six-and-a-half months ago. Tons of sand the storm dumped on Atlantic Avenue have been put back on the beach, sand dunes have been restored and shopkeepers are making repairs. Jennifer Cordier of Hartford, Connecticut visited the beach Sunday and was pleasantly surprised.

Rhode Island authorities have until the end of April to make a decision about whether to allow the sale of Westerly Hospital to Connecticut-based Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, but on Wednesday members of the Westerly community will have the chance to comment on the proposed sale.

The Department of Health and the attorney general’s office have final say on the deal, but Attorney General Peter Kilmartin says public input helps to inform the decision.

A Superior Court Judge is expected rule on a lawsuit that could temporarily shut down a quarry in Westerly. Residents are complaining that Copar Quarry is a threat to their health. Copar disagrees.