More Retail for Middletown? Middletown: Middletown planners are considering developing a 15-acre property near the Navy land into a "town center" with "character," but some residents aren't so sure. During a crowded meeting Thursday night, residents expressed concerns about adding more retail to their town and increasing traffic. Town planners are looking at a mix of retail, office, and public use space, hoping to give Middletown an aesthetically pleasing entry point from West Main Road, Coddington Highway and East Main Road. Read more about the issue in this Middletown Patch story. Saying '…

Suspected Murderer Pleads Not Guilty Tiverton: Joel Beaulieu, the man suspected of killing his father and attempting to kill his mother last Labor Day weekend, pleaded not guilty in Newport Superior Court on Thursday. He was arraigned on one felony count of murder and one felony count of intent to commit murder. The defense attorney told the judge that there was no need for a no-contact order, as Beaulieu's mom is looking forward to visiting her son at the ACI. Read more about this case in this Tiverton-Little Compton Patch story. Battling Bats and Rabid Raccoons Bristol: Last week wasn't a …

Pit Bull Gets a Bad Rap Bristol: A Bristol resident whose dog was attacked by a pit bull last month petitioned the Town Council this week to create an ordinance that goes after the owners of vicious animals. Todd Roper's seven-year-old labrador retriever, Liberty, was brutally attacked by a pit bull on Dec. 5, during the annual tree lighting ceremony in downtown Bristol. According to Roper, Liberty sustained severe head and ear lacerations from the attack that required surgery and stitches. "The owner was supposed to have insurance on that pit bull," Roper told the council. "But there are no …