ROWLEY – The Rowley SelectBoard last month eliminated its volunteer fire department and laid off its volunteer firefighters, effective June 30, leaving to new fire chief Daniel Veinot to decide if 16 full-time firefighters are adequate. [However, at press time, the...
Stewart Lytle
Stewart Lytle is the lead reporter for The Town Common newspaper. Before joining The Town Common, he was a national correspondent for Scripps-Howard Newspapers in Washington, D.C., covering the Pentagon and Congress. He has also written for newspapers in Dallas, TX, and Birmingham, AL.
As a national reporter for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain, Stewart wrote the inside story on military life of soldiers and sailors and their families. He landed on aircraft carriers, experienced oxygen deprivation for high-altitude flight training and crawled through the mud with Marine snipers.
One of his proudest achievements outside of journalism was assisting USAA Chairman Robert McDermott in securing federal legislation that mandated air bags in vehicles.
Stewart is also a novelist and has written non-fiction books. He is currently working on a non-fiction book and screenplay about an incident that occurred in Boston.
His first novel, Iron City Conspiracy, explores power in a city. It features a black newspaper editor solving the bombing of a historic black church in a tough Alabama town.
Following in the footsteps of his idol, Ernest Hemingway, Stewart has completed a new novel about a love affair in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. The book, Montserrat, is based on a true story and has been made into a screenplay that will become an international feature film.
A graduate of Phillips Academy and Princeton University, Stewart lives with his wife, Mary, in Newburyport.
Why Were Plum Island Beaches Closed Last Weekend?
REGIONAL – A group of swimmers from central Massachusetts had planned to swim in the Atlantic Ocean last weekend when they were told on arrival in Plum Island that they would get sick if they ingested any of the water, heavily polluted with sewage. “Is there any...
Georgetown Selectman Sues for Defamation
GEORGETOWN – SelectBoard member Mike Donahue is suing at least two and possibly three town residents for calling him a “homophobe,” which he believes cost him the 2023 election to serve on the school board. Donahue ran third in the three-candidate race for a seat on...
Philippa Dunn Exhibits Her Art at Illume – Newburyport
NEWBURYPORT – From the classroom at the Immaculate Conception School to the art gallery at Illume Bookstore on Market Square, Philippa Dunn brings her natural realistic paintings for all to enjoy. The latest featured artist at Jen Perry’s Illume, Dunn is inspired by...
Local Austin Prep Students Win Harvard Medical Competition
REGIONAL – Someday in the near future, heart patients with a genetic hole in their heart that needs to be repaired, may have their heart surgery done by a robot – thanks to the creativity, tenacity and hard work of four female students at Austin Preparatory School....
REAL ESTATE: For Sale: Carriage Industry Founder’s Home
AMESBURY – If you have dreamed of owning a home overlooking the Merrimack River, built by the man who nurtured the American carriage and car industries, Erica Puorro with Lamacchia Realty can fulfill that dream with the nine-bedroom mansion at 372 Main St. Built by...
Attorney General to Review: Did Request to Review Process of Pacheco’s Firing of Grenier Against the Law
GEORGETOWN – A simmering feud over the last few weeks at the top of town government has been kicked upstairs to the state Attorney General. The issue is whether Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco exceeded his authority in his abrupt firing of conservation agent...
Custom House Has Second Copy of Independence Declaration
NEWBURYPORT – The Custom House Maritime Museum, which has been awarded $150,000 over three years by the prestigious Cummings Foundation, has added a second historical copy of the Declaration of Independence for display during the 250th national anniversary this July....
Wetlands Commission Looking for New Agent – Agrees to Hire Temp for One Month
GEORGETOWN – The town’s Conservation Commission (ConCom) is looking for an agent to replace Michele Grenier, who was fired in April in a disputed action by Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco. The ConCom formed a hiring subcommittee to recruit and interview candidates...
Immaculate Conception School Graduation Snapshot
At the Immaculate Conception School graduation, Daria Lucente Stablile accepts her diploma from Father Tim Harrison. (Photo by Stewart Lytle)
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Recent News
- Newbury Honors Advocate Geoffrey H. Walker Jul 22, 2026
- Sons & Daughters of the First Settlers of Newbury Annual Meeting Jul 22, 2026
- Georgetown Light Receives National Achievement Award Jul 22, 2026
- LOCAL HAPPENINGS Jul 22, 2026


