By Sabrina Shankman — In the age of climate change, as sea levels rise and more intense storms wear away the natural landscape that had protected coastal communities for generations, state and local officials are considering more radical measures, including paying people to abandon their waterfront properties altogether.

By Catie McNeill, Paige Messier — While the focus seemed to be on inland flooding over the past few weeks of weather, all eyes are now on Rhode Island’s coast, which experts say may not have enough protection to weather future storms.

By Savana Dunning — With little warning, Clean Ocean Access, the nonprofit agency that has cleaned up Aquidneck Island beaches for nearly a decade, announced that it will dissolve.

Clean Ocean Access (COA), a nonprofit organization with the vision of A Clean,

Healthy Ocean that is Accessible to All in its 10 year anniversary has made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization.

By Brian Amaral — “This lawsuit is about two things: property rights and abuse of government process for political gain,” Weekapaug Fire District moderator Bob McCann said of the would-be shore access path in Westerly

By Savan Dunning — Conrad Ferla’s love of surfing led him down the path to becoming a shoreline-access advocate.

By Alex Nunes — The increasingly litigious shoreline fire district wants to end a state review that could result in a new beach right-of-way being designated in Westerly.

RIpodcast.com — Coastal access activist and Bartholomewtown regular Conrad Ferla joins Bill Bartholomew for a discussion on what progress was seen in Rhode Island shoreline access during 2023 and what to watch for in 2024.

By Alex Nunes — Advocates for coastal access point to the town’s tepid pursuit of beach rights-of-way, questionable changes to boat mooring policies, and highly restrictive parking rules in exclusive shoreline areas. Now access advocates say the general public faces a newer threat: Westerly’s own town solicitor. They say his past actions in shoreline access matters continue to raise doubts about whose interests he’s serving in critical ongoing legal cases.

By Alex Nunes — The Westerly Town Council could soon consider a proposal to enter into settlement discussions over a lawsuit challenging the public’s right to access a popular beach and conservation area in Watch Hill. But shoreline access advocates are raising conflict of interest questions about the new town councilor who proposed the idea.

By Alex Nunes — The Westerly-based fire district, a taxing entity with government authorities but no fire department, had blocked information on its website from public view.

By Rob Jennings — State officials have notified a Jersey Shore landowners’ association that it could be fined up to $25,000 a day if it resumes blocking beach access on Sunday mornings next summer.

By Antonia Noori Farzan — RIDOT initially said that "fishing accommodations will not be provided" on the new East Bay Bike Path bridges, but now says that it doesn't intend to prohibit fishing.

By Alex Nunes — The U.S. General Services Administration now says the deal to transfer the lighthouse to the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association won’t be finalized until Westerly investigates concerns about public access to the land.

PODCAST By Colleen Cronin, Joanna Detz, and Rob Smith — Beach season may have ended, but conflicts over shoreline access have not. ecoRI News reporters Colleen Cronin and Rob Smith break down pending and settled lawsuits, and explain recent legislation that determines where the public beach begins and where private property ends.

By Brittany Bowker — “Our physical location in the theater is more harmful to the Theatre than it is beneficial,” said Torey Malatia, chief executive of The Public’s Radio.

By James Merolla — When is a public right-of-way to the shore not a right-of-way? When, over time, it has been impeded, overgrown, sits on or near private property, or becomes unsafe.

By Alex Nunes — The disclosure contradicts characterizations of an agreement made public in July by Rhode Island U.S. Senator Jack Reed.

By Ryan Blessing — Town Council President Edward P. Morrone submitted his letter of resignation Tuesday morning at Town Hall and pointed the finger at the actions at a recent council meeting as one of the reasons he stepped down.

By Alex Nunes — Council President Edward Morrone had been under scrutiny for his ties to private interests in the Watch Hill community as disputes over shoreline access became a focal point for the Westerly Town Council.