Students stage walkout against sexual violence
A student holds a sign that reads “Silence is not consent” at the MVRHS student walkout against sexual violence. —Nicholas Vukota “We are all Jane Doe.” —Nicholas Vukota MVRHS students walk out of the high school in protest against sexual violence. —Nicholas Vukota “Say no to sexual violence.”—Nicholas Vukota Students walk out of MVRHS onto…
Cotton pleads not guilty to murder charge in toddler’s death
Aimee Cotton was arraigned Thursday afternoon in Dukes County Superior Court in Edgartown on a second-degree murder charge for the death of 2-year-old Frank “Frankie” Edward Rodenbaugh. At the courthouse, where Cotton, 41, pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge, family and friends of the Rodenbaughs filled the benches for the 2 pm hearing.…
Still no decision on Katama Meadows
For the sixth time in a row, a decision on Katama Meadows, a controversial development proposed on 54 acres in Edgartown, was pushed off by commissioners after discussion ran long. The meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8 was another in a long saga of deliberation by commissioners. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) has been reviewing Katama…
Jordan’s Nursery begins MVC review
Jordan’s Nursery, which recently raised environmental concerns on the Island, was discussed by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 8. Commissioners also toured the property earlier that day, which is owned and operated by three well-known developers and company owners.
Tick Free MV to cover deer carcass disposal at Refuse District
Tick Free MV (TFMV) announced Thursday that the nonprofit will underwrite the cost to legally dispose of deer carcasses at the Martha’s Vineyard Refuse Disposal and Resource Recovery District, a new initiative that solves a prolonged issue for Island hunters. A carcass must be in a heavy contractor bag, and hunters have to identify their…
Family sues former fire chief in hidden camera case
Updated Oct. 9. The family of a teenage girl is suing former Oak Bluffs Fire Chief John Robert F. Rose for invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress after facing charges for filming her in her bedroom through a secret camera. The family seeks at least $1 million in compensatory damages.
West Tisbury man arrested for downloading child porn
A West Tisbury resident was arrested at his home on Skiff Avenue by State Police last month for possessing child pornography and is now out with conditions after posting a $25,000 bail, according to court records. According to a police report submitted to the Edgartown District Court by State Trooper Ian Andrade, who’s part of…
A heavy October docket at the Edgartown Courthouse
Dukes County Superior Court in Edgartown always processes a full list of criminal cases in October. And this past Monday was no exception. There was a state prison sentence issued in a cocaine case, a rape case likely headed for jury trial, and a not-guilty plea entered on an attempted murder indictment. Travis J. Viera,…
Paddle-out honors Island surfing legend
Even though the water was almost completely flat, the parking lot at Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark was brimming with local surfers on Saturday, Oct. 3. The early October sun was strong at 70°F as the surfing community congregated at the up-Island beach known for its surf. But instead of riding the waves, the group was…
Tourism experts turn to AI
Business leaders and tourism experts gathered for breakfast at the Harbor View Hotel Monday morning to digest the 2026 summer season and strategize for next year. The annual State of the Island Tourism Breakfast, hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, featured data-driven presentations and new models of doing business.
Major gifts made to Aquinnah Headwaters project
Aquinnah Headwaters, a building project by Kinship Heals to house and serve Native American survivors of domestic assault and sexual violence, received two “major gifts” to fund their efforts, according to a press release Tuesday. Aquinnah Headwaters was unanimously approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in August; the projected project total is $17.67 million.
Former fire chief’s suit against town dismissed
Former Tisbury Fire Chief Gregory Leland’s lawsuit against the town of Tisbury, alleging he was fired without constitutionally required notice, opportunity to be heard, or just cause, was dismissed Monday with prejudice by Judge Peter B. Krupp after Leland failed to appear at a status review hearing. Neither Leland or his representation appeared at the…
Millions in federal funds pulled from Oak Bluffs restoration
A project to restore more than 2,000 feet of eroding bluff in Oak Bluffs is in funding flux after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pulled $10 million that was awarded to the town years ago. The project to revitalize the coastline, called the East Chop Drive Coastal Restoration, was underway due to significant erosion…
New leadership at the housing authority
Updated Oct. 8. When it comes to affordable housing on the Vineyard, the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority is usually involved. Its office building is off the beaten path in Vineyard Haven, behind stores and shaded by tall oak trees, and its oversight is, similarly, not often obvious.
Week 3 of the Derby: Singing the blues
Bruce Dew landed a gator blue on Bluefish Super Sunday to win not only Super Sunday but also claim the Shore Bluefish Grand Leader title with less than two weeks to go. —Lisa Belcastro Lenny Bedford reeled in the new Shore Bonito Grand Leader on the first day of week 4. —Lisa Belcastro Calidore Robinson…
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The High School View
New clubs debut at this year’s Club Fair
This year’s Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) club fair took place last Wednesday during super-flex in the gym, where students circulated among rows of club displays — tri-fold posters,…
High School View Spotlight
Last Wednesday, the girls’ soccer team hosted their only night game of the season against Sandwich High School. The game felt special playing under the lights, and also because it…
First cohort of Early College embarks on new pathway
Last spring, after years of planning and relentless pursuit on behalf of Sam Hart and former Principal Sara Dingledy, the Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) officially designated the…
Environment
Wind farms navigate rough seas
The final turbine on the 65-turbine wind farm Revolution Wind, an offshore wind farm located 12 miles off the coast of Aquinnah, was installed Wednesday, Sept. 17. An Ørsted spokesperson confirmed that installation is complete, and commissioning of the turbines continued across the project in mid-September. “Revolution Wind continues to progress toward an anticipated commercial…
Health
West Nile detected in Tisbury mosquito
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Friday that West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in a mosquito collected in Tisbury on August 4. The mosquito was collected from the Veteran’s Memorial Park area in Tisbury.
Housing
Katama Meadows discussion continues
The 54-acre subdivision before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) called Katama Meadows is in the final throes of the longest deliberation before a decision in commission history. Last Thursday, Oct. 1, significant progress was made in deliberation, but a final decision wasn’t made. Commissioners entered final deliberation Thursday on Katama Meadows, which includes weighing the…
Education
School building project threatens summer programming
As plans for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) $333.5 million building project move forward, the feasibility of next summer’s 25th annual M.V. African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) remains unknown. The festival, which traditionally takes place in the school’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) during a nine-day period in August, attracts thousands of visitors and…
Politics
Brazil’s fateful presidential election heads to a second round
Logo of the Consulate General of Brazil in Boston. Updated Oct. 8. The first round of Brazil’s presidential election took place Sunday, Oct. 4, and Brazilians voters on Martha’s Vineyard were able to cast their ballots in Framingham and Malden.
Cops and Courts
Medical transport plane crashes off Nantucket
Updated Oct. 8. In the early hours Saturday morning, a plane with six passengers went missing 13 miles south of Nantucket. It was only 90 miles, less than an hour, from its destination of Boston.
Immigration
Father detained by ICE back in Brazil
Rogério da Silva Lima and Nycolas de Alvarenga Lima. —Robyn Twomey Rogério da Silva Lima, 42, the Brazilian father who was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody alongside his teenage son Nycolas de Alvarenga Lima (now 16) while fishing in Menemsha in May, left the U.S. on Saturday and returned to Brazil Sunday…
Ferry and transportation
Washout nor’easter
As a rainbow arched over Vineyard Haven Harbor Monday afternoon, an early-season nor’easter began to exit from the Cape and Islands. The storm, which brought wind gusts as high as 60 mph, finally ended, after between five and eight inches of rain had been dumped on the Island over the weekend and into Monday. And…
Opinion
A spotlight on climate adaptation
When Dr. Mark Borrelli, a former coastal geologist for Center for Coastal Studies and a researcher at UMass Boston, started his presentation, “Coastal Geology and the Science of Storms, Sediment…
A response to ‘An Island inundated’
To the Editor: After reading your story about issues dealing with flooding in Five Corners and elsewhere (“An Island inundated,” Oct. 1), I thought I would extend and sharpen my…
All aboard for Vineyard football!
To the Editor: The Martha’s Vineyard football program is rebuilding — and we’re asking our community to help.
