Week in Review

The last week of 2010 will be remembered for a blizzard, plunging polar bears, a "health club bandit," and more.

Here are some highlights, but certainly not all the news reported last week, so be sure to click here to view more articles, photo galleries, and columns written by Middletowners.

White Out/Black Out:

The blizzard that arrived the day after Christmas dumped nearly eight inches of snow on Aquidneck Island. That was less than half the volume seen in other parts of Rhode Island and southern New England, but proved to be quite a local nuisance nonetheless. While the DPW seemed to handle the maintenance of roadways diligently, the heavy wet snows brought down power lines throughout town, resulting in power outages for as many as 600 local National Grid customers.

Click on the following article links to read more:

A Purrrfect Way to End the Year:

The Potter League for Animals ended the year reporting record adoption rates with more than half the animals placed in new homes by the end of the month, due largely in part to the special cat adoption promotion held throughout December.

Potter League officials credit the large inventory reduction to the Potter League's Home for the Holidays Cat Adoption Special, in which the adoption fee for cats more than 6-months-old had been reduced by 50 percent. Read more here.

Police Work Out Health Club Bandit Case with Public's Help:

The Middletown Police Department continues to seek the public's help in identifying the suspect from the "health club bandit" case, in which the prime suspect is believed to have used a one-day membership pass to access the victim's personal belongings. Read more here.

Thousands Hit the Beach on New Year's Day:

Unseasonably warm temperatures around 50 degrees greeted the thousands of spectators and participants who braved the chilly winter waters of Easton's Bay on New Year's Day for the annual Newport Polar Bears Plunge to benefit the A Wish Come True organization. 

• See photos and the video from the Easton's Beach Polar Beach Plunge.
• Read about Ellary, the young girl who benefited from the fundraiser.