NORTH SHORE AND BEYOND – Since its intrepid founders created the Newburyport Literary Festival 17 years ago, it has been one of the rites of Spring in Newburyport. Authors and poets interacted with enthusiastic readers, darting about downtown venues from the Firehouse...
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.
Songs For The Soul
NEWBURYPORT – Ken Medema finishes his solo, 90-minute concerts with three to five songs that are improvised on the spot, complete with rhyming, from stories he gleans from members of the audience. And if that is not remarkable enough, Ken is blind. Nearing his 80th...
Celebrate Reading
GEORGETOWN – Whether you prefer stories about Judy Moody, Ramona Quinby or Mia, there’s a book waiting for you in front of the Penn Brook School, thanks to months of hard work by a group of five young Girl Scouts. The scouts in Troop 82937 led by Lori Kloc have been...
Jersey Mike’s Helps Special Olympics on Company’s Busiest Day
NEWBURYPORT – Last week, Jersey Mike’s 2,200 stores nationwide had its busiest day in company history as it raised $20 million to benefit the Special Olympics program. It was the 12th year the chain of submarine franchises has devoted its sales to a charity. In the...
Yard Signs Show Support For Ukraine
NORTH SHORE – Want to show your support for Ukraine against the Russian military, Jarrod and Nadiia Sadowski are giving out 18-inch by 24-inch yard signs. The signs are available for pick up at their Plum Island home. The Sadowskis continue to raise money to buy food...
Topsfield Dry Cleaner Closing
TOPSFIELD – After 30 years in the same Topsfield shop, Won McGrath is hanging her last dry-cleaned dress and hemming the last pair of pants. Soon, the woman, who has been in her shop 11 hours a day, six days a week, plans to travel and see friends. “I’m going to...
Health Board to Rule on 500-ton Trash Station by May 20
GEORGETOWN – The Board of Health postponed its second hearing Thursday to determine the site suitability of G. Mello Disposal Corp.’s proposed 500-ton, per day transfer station was delayed a week when one member was absent due to illness. The hearing, which began...
State Rejects Waterfront Uni-Sex Restroom Design
NEWBURYPORT – It’s back to the drawing board for the new public restrooms at Market Landing Park. The Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters rejected the city’s application for a variance so it could build uni-sex restrooms on the waterfront park near...
Flinging Into The Big Leagues
AMESBURY – FlingGolf will take the next step to being a world-class competitive sport this year when its first-ever tournament is broadcast on ESPN. The New Swarm FlingGolf Open will be held over two days, May 21 and 22, at the American Classic Golf Club in Lewes, DE....
Could 40B Break the Waterfront West Stalemate?
NEWBURYPORT — Is using the 40B process the solution for Stephen Karp’s company to force the city to approve a tall, dense housing project with more than 200 apartments at Waterfront West? City officials are anticipating a renewed community fight soon over the...
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