Monday, February 16th, 2026 | Edition #9
GOOD MORNING, WARWICK. Happy President's Day. Today, George Washington would have been 294 years old, and if he lived in Warwick, he'd be milking that pension like it's nobody's business. GW never graced the best city in the 401 with his presence, but after Rhode Island finally ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1790 (becoming the last of the original 13 colonies to do so), President Washington made a formal visit to Newport to celebrate, alongside his frenemy Thomas Jefferson.
No record of him stopping by Oakland Beach for clam cakes & chowdah. A missed opportunity, George.
Highs in the upper 30s today with sun and a biting northwest wind. City offices are closed, but the news isn't. Here's what you need to know.
According to our latest algorithm and highly advanced projection tools, this is George Washington at 294 years old: founding father, national icon, and regular at Top of the Bay.
The Great Thaw
After weeks of deep freeze that had quahoggers stranded, pipes bursting, and everyone in Warwick questioning their life choices, relief is finally on the horizon. Temps are expected to climb into the 40s by midweek, with 50s possible by the weekend. That's right — you might actually feel your face again when you make that dreaded walk to start your car in the morning.
With temperatures returning to civilized levels this week, expect some major melting
Don't get too excited though. This is still February in Rhode Island, which means "warm" is relative. You'll swap the parka for a hoodie, not shorts. But after a stretch where the Coast Guard had to break ice in Warwick Cove like we're living in the Arctic, we'll take it.
The forecast: sunny skies, light winds, and temps that no longer require layering like you're summiting Everest. Break out the sunglasses. Crack a window. Turn on some Kenny Chesney. Maybe even wash your car, knowing full well another storm will roll through the moment it's clean.
Spring isn't here yet — but you can almost smell it. Or maybe that's just three months of dog droppings finally thawing out. Either way: progress.
Flow State
Warwick Sewer Authority officials gave the state's flood commission a progress report this week on the Pawtuxet River — proof the city has been quietly preparing for Round 2 ever since 2010 turned large chunks of Warwick into waterfront property nobody asked for.
Wastewater plants sit low on purpose (gravity is cheap), which unfortunately makes them prime targets when the river decides to level up. Since the last disaster, crews have raised protective barriers, installed automatic storm pumps, added backup power, and poured about $20 million into keeping the system running even when conditions outside look like a disaster movie trailer.
The catch: Warwick's fate isn't entirely in Warwick's hands. What happens upstream — reservoir levels, aging dams, fallen trees, assorted river junk — can send extra water barreling south whether the city's ready or not. Clearing blockages is complicated, expensive, and tangled in the classic Rhode Island question of "wait… whose job is that?"
Bottom line: the city is much better prepared than it used to be, but the Pawtuxet still operates on its own schedule — less like a calm river, more like a moody houseguest who occasionally clogs the basement toilet and refuses to clean up their mess or even apologize.
Quick Hitters
Trash Talk — Since George Washington never visited Warwick, the DPW is treating this holiday like it doesn't exist. Trash pickup runs as usual. Respect the pettiness. My trash can is still overflowing from Super Bowl Sunday, so no complaints here.
We Finally Have an Instagram! — The Warwick Wake Up has left boomer status and is officially on the gram. Give us a follow. Click here to stay up to date on top stories, and share our content with your local cronies.
Give Blood, Get Cookies — The NBC 10 Cares Community Blood Drive is happening TODAY at the Crowne Plaza (801 Greenwich Ave), 8:00AM–7:00PM. Donate and you'll walk out with Girl Scout cookies and a shot at James Taylor tickets. Your veins have never been so valuable. Learn more here.
Cafe Spotlight: Presto Strange-O
Tucked into Warwick Neck like a secret your friend swore you not to tell anyone (and then immediately told three other people), Presto Strange-O Café is the kind of place you "accidentally" discover once and then start inventing reasons to return.
The eclectic interior inside Presto Strange-O Cafe in Warwick Neck
They started as a coffee truck back in 2010 — slinging espresso at farmers markets before anyone was calling themselves "mobile-first." Now they've got a brick-and-mortar on Warwick Neck Ave (plus three trucks still roaming the wild), and the eclectic vibe is exactly what you'd expect from a place with that name.
From the outside, it has that cozy, slightly mysterious energy that makes you wonder if you're about to get the best breakfast sandwich of your life or be recruited into a seaside book club that only meets during fog. The inside matches. The food delivers. Avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, lunch options, and cinnamon rolls big enough to share (but you won't).
Grab a seat inside, post up on the patio when it warms up, or hit them on your way to Rocky Point.
📍 334 Warwick Neck Ave | Open daily 7:00AM–7:00PM
Winter Recess Survival Kit - What to Do this Week Around Town:
🧘Yoga Classes: Just over the bridge in Pawtuxet Village, Essence Yoga invites you to bend, breathe, and detach. Classes every day this week, with beginner options for hesitant yogis. We suggest Basic Yoga Flow with instructor Jeriann Evans. Walk in stiff from shoveling, walk out a new person. Or at least slightly less tense. Sign up for a class here!
⛸️Skating with a Cop: We pushed this last week, but the Five-O is lacing up today at the City Hall Ice Rink — go check it out! 10:30AM–1:30PM at City Hall Plaza. Free skate for all!
🚶Winter Walk at Rocky Point: Bundle up and hit the paved trail with views of Narragansett Bay. Free, easy, and surprisingly peaceful.
🎭Bring Your Own Improv: Friday night at Warwick Center for the Arts (8:00PM). Family-friendly comedy where your kids yell suggestions and you pretend not to be mortified. Cheap laughs, literally.
That's it for today. Got a tip, find an error, or have a story suggestion? Hit reply. See you Friday.
Stay warm, Warwick ☕
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