Grand jury indicts Aimee Cotton for murder
Updated August 20. Aimee Cotton of Oak Bluffs, who pleaded not guilty in October 2025 after being indicted by a Dukes County grand jury of manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child in September, was indicted for murder Wednesday in the Dukes County Superior Court, according to court documents. Courtney L. Scalice was added as…
Oak Bluffs fireworks canceled
The Oak Bluffs Fireworks, scheduled to take place Friday, are canceled due to choppy waters and inclement weather conditions expected Friday and Saturday. The fireworks have officially been pushed off until the summer of 2027. “Due to rough seas, unfavorable weather conditions, and concerns regarding the safe loading and operation of the fireworks barge, both…
‘Still Here’
The vibration of drums and the sound of indigenous chants echoed into Fenway Park during the Boston Red Sox’s annual Native American and American Indian Celebration, a night that showcases the proud, resilient heritage of indigenous communities from across the country. Tobias Vanderhoop, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and a…
Illumination Night, a very fine affair
Thousands of people traversed the streets around the Tabernacle and the quieter roads within the rest of the campgrounds as bright and colorful lanterns hung from almost every cottage. Grand Illumination Night, an almost-end-of-summer favorite, started Wednesday night at 7 pm with a prayer, community sing and music by the Vineyard Haven Band, and ceremonial…
The Times sits down with Sen. Elizabeth Warren
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) came to Martha’s Vineyard last week to discuss a bill she co-sponsored, the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate earlier this summer. It became law last month without President Donald Trump’s signature, largely due to overwhelming bipartisan support. The…
Rare bacterial infection in Edgartown prompts warnings
The Edgartown Board of Health is urging residents to exercise caution when swimming after a Vineyard resident over the age of 65 contracted a bacterial infection called Vibrio vulnificus, a type of flesh-eating bacteria, after swimming in multiple bodies of water in the town with an open cut on their foot. The individual’s identity and…
Softball: A favorite local summer pastime
The Highlanders captured their second straight men’s softball league championship last Thursday night, taking down the Brewhas 16–9 in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals. The Highlanders also took Game 1 on Monday last week in the seven-inning game and closed out the series in a comeback Thursday, tacking on a number of runs in…
Vineyard enters primary season
As voters consider various issues Massachusetts is presenting for the state gubernatorial election, Islanders will also decide whom they want to represent the Democratic and Republican parties in November. The Massachusetts primary is set for Sept. 1 from 7 am to 8 pm statewide, where voters will elect candidates to run in the Nov. 3…
Warren’s Island visit focuses on housing initiatives
Updated Aug. 19. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, came to the Island last week to focus on affordable housing at a roundtable discussion as local officials look for federal and state assistance amid growing concerns about the sustainability of life on the Island for year-round residents. Arriving Friday, August 14, for the day, Warren said she…
Air conditioning in parts of hospital down for weeks
As visitation on the Island — and hot weather — continue to surge during the busiest month of the year, the largest healthcare facility has lacked air conditioning (AC) in parts of the building for weeks, and the system is currently under repair. A patient at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) said there’s been no AC…
A fair share of fun for all
From the colorful gondolas of the Ferris wheel turning above the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society grounds in West Tisbury, a scene unfolded below: Families drifted between rides and food booths and the sounds of the buzzing amusement rides mingled with the bustle of animals in the barns, all of which are the familiar rhythms of…
Judge rules Trustees overburdened Cape Poge
Updated August 17. The Trustees of Reservations, which manages various conservation lands on Martha’s Vineyard, was deemed by a Massachusetts Land Court judge to have overstepped its bounds on Cape Poge, bringing to question where oversand vehicles will be allowed on Chappaquiddick Island’s northern point. Land Court Judge Sarah Turano-Flores ruled on Tuesday, Aug. 11…
Restored Chappy trail: A boon for fishermen and beachgoers
An oversand vehicle (OSV) trail on Chappaquiddick Island that was inaccessible for years due to erosion has been restored, just over a month before the Vineyard’s premier fishing tournament begins. The Edgartown conservation commission unanimously voted on Wednesday, August 12 to reauthorize the Trustees of Reservation’s operation of a 450-foot trail that connects its Wasque…
The coolest hockey mask
Christopher Hathaway, a 13-year-old hockey goalie on the Island, arrived at hockey camp last week in Oak Bluffs with a new mask that left his teammates in awe. The custom design was created by Sean McHale, a professional goalie mask painter who works with college and professional players and lives on-Island in the summer. Hathaway,…
ISland Life
VOICES bySharisse: From the porch to the lawn
The caterpillar crawl
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Environment
Bat with rabies is third-ever case on the Island
Lab results for a bat killed by a pet cat came back positive for rabies. It’s the third positive rabies case on the Island since testing began in 1985, and local officials said it’s not an indicator of worsening conditions. Heather Maciel, Tisbury animal control officer, told The Times that residents notified her on July…
Health
State issues temporary kratom ban
Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday a ban on kratom products, a substance that is largely unregulated at the federal level, in an effort to protect residents, particularly young people. According to a press release from the governor’s office, state Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Robbie Goldstein issued an emergency order that temporarily designated “all…
Housing
Katama Meadows decision pushed to September
The deliberation on the 54-acre subdivision proposed in Edgartown called Katama Meadows went over time again Thursday, and further discussion was pushed until September 10. Islanders who are anxiously awaiting some certainty regarding Katama Meadows will have to wait a bit longer. It remains unclear whether the meeting in September will include a decision on…
Education
Survey seeks to identify health needs for Island children and mothers
Updated August 10. A survey is open for mothers and families on the Island that seeks to zero in on existing gaps in services, from childcare to postpartum needs, with the goal to improve year-round community services in the long run. The survey, called the “Maternal Child and Family Health Assessment,” is spearheaded by Martha…
Politics
Bus union pauses strike plan, calls for administrator’s resignation
As Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) buses continue to traverse Island roads even after the contract for unionized drivers expired, the looming threat of a strike has been put on pause as the two sides make their cases to Island officials. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1548, the union that represents local VTA drivers, announced on July…
Cops and Courts
Cape Poge trail uncertainty raised in Land Court
Uncertainty was raised by a state judge on which trails on Cape Poge correspond to 19th century easements in an ongoing lawsuit over where drivers can publicly access Chappaquiddick Island’s northernmost territory. That question over the easements, which is the permission granted to use a part of another owner’s property, remains unresolved after a virtual…
Immigration
On fishing and freedom
The father and his son had always been knotted together through a shared love of fishing, a narrative throughline from their homeland in Brazil and throughout their journey as immigrants to America. When his son was just a little boy, the father provided him with a bamboo pole to go for tilapia in the pond…
Ferry and transportation
SSA head: Freight through New Bedford is a ‘long-term plan’
Updated Aug. 12. As the Steamship Authority (SSA) considers its ferry schedule for next year, an annual complaint has resurfaced: the 5:30 am boat. This has been the earliest departure from Woods Hole via the Steamship for more than a decade, and carries a variety of shipments to the Island on trucks. It’s a critical…
Opinion
Finishing the job of connecting Martha’s Vineyard to high-speed internet
To the Editor: Martha’s Vineyard is a community that values connection, whether it’s connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, or ensuring residents and visitors can access opportunities online, including healthcare, education,…
An endorsement for Rob Galibois
To the Editor: I am proud to endorse District Attorney (DA) Rob Galibois for re-election as district attorney for the Cape and Islands, and urge my fellow Vineyarders to join…
Galibois has earned our support as DA
To the Editor: Promises made, promises kept. In 2022, then-candidate for Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois made more than a dozen trips to the Vineyard to connect with…
