Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Providence, Quincy

Growth and Development Reporter at Providence Journal

Journalist. @ProJo reporter. Editor, @NMHomicides. Past: @PatriotLedger, @CapeCodTimes, @RGSun, @NAHJ_NewMexico. Fan: Cats, deutsch, mustard.

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Articles

Winning the lottery: East Providence school site turned into income-restricted housing

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

EAST PROVIDENCE – What was once the Platt-Waters school complex in East Providence has been turned into eight new homes and three duplexes built by a nonprofit, sold via a lottery for well below market value. City and state leaders gathered at one of the three new duplexes on Hoppin Avenue on April 22, to celebrate the project, saying that adding the six new units will help alleviate, even a small amount, the state's housing crisis.
See three new income-restricted duplexes in East Providence

1 week ago | providencejournal.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Wheeler CowperthwaiteEast Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva talks about his upbringing in front of a 10,000-square foot lot that once was part of a school complex on April 22, 2025. Wheeler Cowperthwaite/The Providence JournalEast Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva stands next to Carla DeStefano of SWAP, the builder of three new duplexes in East Providence on April 22, 2025.
Man Released After Allegedly Stabbing 5

1 week ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Nicholas Roybal-Martinez, of Medanales, has been ordered to report to pre-trial services A Medanales man who went on an alleged stabbing spree on April 22 in Española, attacking five people with a knife, fleeing the scene and then found hiding under a dog kennel, has been released on his own recognizance. Rio Arriba Magistrate Judge Alexandra Naranjo released Nicholas Roybal-Martinez, 31, on April 23 and ordered him to report to pre-trial services.
Colorado Man Arrested for Driving Stolen Truck

1 week ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

New Mexico State Police officers arrested a 40-year-old Colorado man for allegedly driving a stolen Chevrolet Colorado truck after an automated license plate reader identified it. State Police Officer Estevan Trujillo wrote in a statement of probable cause for James Saunders’ arrest that, on April 2, he was traveling south on State Road 291 when the Dodge utility van passed in the opposite direction.
911 Call Sheds Some Light on Sheriff’s Death

1 week ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Details of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield’s last hours before he was found in his patrol vehicle outside his house on April 20, have become a little clearer after the release of an initial 911 call. A man who identified himself as Merrifield’s friend told dispatchers that he “called and called” and that he had been “calling all morning” trying to get Merrifield on the line the morning of April 20.
Former City Councilor to Spend Extra Year in Prison

1 week ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Former Española city councilor Phillip Chacon will spend an extra year in prison and receive credit for five years of time served, in a global plea deal that put to rest four cases against him. Chacon pleaded guilty on April 24, appearing virtually from state prison. He was previously sentenced to five years of supervised probation on a 10-year suspended sentence for a previous case where he knocked out some of his renter’s teeth and stabbed another tenant.
Warwick's Route 113 onramp to I-95 North closes May 2 to mid-summer for bridge replacement

2 weeks ago | providencejournal.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Route 113 traffic to be shifted onto one bridge starting mid-MayProject is part of $102 million "Warwick Corridor Project"Detour involves I-95 South and Route 117 interchangeWARWICK – The ramp from Route 113 East to Interstate 95 North in Warwick will be closed starting on the evening of May 2, and stay closed until late fall of this year. The closure will force drivers trying to access I-95 North to get on the freeway in the opposite direction and loop back via Route 117.
Truchas Man Accused of Shooting, Killing Father

2 weeks ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

New Mexico State Police arrested an 18-year-old Truchas man Sunday on a charge of second-degree murder for allegedly shooting his father in the chest and killing him during an argument. Ricky Romero is accused of fatally shooting his 44-year-old father, Fernando Romero.
Sheriff Billy Merrifield Dies Unexpectedly

2 weeks ago | riograndesun.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

By Wheeler CowperthwaiteSpecial to the SUNShockwaves rippled through Rio Arriba County Sunday morning after Sheriff Billy Merrifield was found dead at his home. The cause of his death is unknown at this time and is being investigated by New Mexico State Police.
'Explore:' State releases plan to nearly double new housing units by 2030. What's in it.

3 weeks ago | providencejournal.com | Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Rhode Island has one of the lowest rates of housing production in the countryChanging the state's fire and building code could be keyHow or if the governor will pressure state officials to reform building and fire codes is unknownPROVIDENCE – A new housing report proposes to increase the number of new units in the state by 15,000 in the next five years, mostly by offering light incentives to cities and towns and creating goals for them.