Welcome to Portsmouth Patch!

Hello and welcome to Portsmouth Patch, your online hub of news and information.

In the past weeks, residents have asked me just what is Patch?

Portsmouth Patch is an online news endeavor for and about Portsmouth – and only Portsmouth. A team of freelance journalists and myself will cover local politics, government, business, the arts and breaking news in this historic and beautiful town on Aquidneck Island.

Several residents have also asked, "What makes Patch different than a blog?" While blogs also serve the community in providing essential information, blogs traditionally offer an opinion within the news story. We don't. We are true journalists, dedicated to delivering information objectively and letting you decide what to do with it.

You can also find more than news here. Our calendar of events will tell you what's happening in town. Our sports coverage will take you to Little League fields and high school football games. Our Announcements section will keep you updated on what's happening in the lives of your neighbors, and your family – who's getting married, celebrating new babies or earning school honors. For all those things, we need your help. Please send us your news, information, events and personal achievement. There's a convenient tab at the bottom of the page – "Contribute" – where you can tell us what's going on.

Our comprehensive directory includes everything you need to know about local places, from your government and schools to restaurants, clothing stores, mechanics and more. Our street team has been on the ground in Portsmouth for months, meeting with local business owners to gather essential and accurate information about their hours and services. The map on the right even shows you where to go. Whether you're looking for a new salon or scoping out a good place to eat this Friday night, come here for the lowdown on local services.

You can post photos, videos, comments or a letter to the editor instantly from your home computer, cell phone or laptop.

I believe the future of news is not only online, but also interactive. I hope you, the Portsmouth community, will take a few minutes out of your day to visit the site, as well as participate in the discussions about the town.

Please feel free to send us your comments, questions or suggestions.

I can be reached at Sandy@Patch.com, by phone at (401) 207-7811 or on Twitter under the username PortsmouthPatch.

Please take the time to offer a suggestion on how we can make Portsmouth Patch better for you, the community of Portsmouth. Thank you.

Sandy McGee, editor of Portsmouth Patch