Welcome to SmithfieldPatch!

Welcome to Smithfield Patch!

I'm Joe Hutnak, Editor of Smithfield Patch. I grew up in nearby Johnston and spent lots of time in Smithfield, and I'm so excited that I can finally cover my old stomping grounds.

When I was growing up, I'd often swim at Georgiaville Pond, skate at the Municipal Ice Rink, and play tennis — when there were still courts — at Old County Road School.

With the addition of SmithfieldPatch, I'm looking forward to keeping tabs on the local fire and police departments, profiling local businesses, and giving Smithfield readers a chance to share our "virtual village green."

You may be asking: What is Patch?

Patch is series of hyperlocal news and information sites, spread out across the country. From school committee meetings to festivals in town to the opening of a new business and everything in between, Patch will be there ready to report.

We all have busy schedules, and Patch is here to help make it easier for locals to stay updated on events around town.

Here's an overview of what you'll find on our website:

News

Our news section will feature stories about topics such as politics, schools, sports and business. My reporters and I will be all over Smithfield, learning the news, covering events and getting to know the community. We plan to tell these stories in printed form and using multimedia, so photos and videos will accompany much of the content you see on our site.

We want the Smithfield community to be a part of making our site even better.  We want to help local organizations by publicizing their news and helping them recruit volunteers, which can be done through our site's volunteer section.

Upload events and announcements, tell us about community groups you're involved in and, as always, feel free to send us news tips and story ideas. Email me at joseph.hutnak@patch.com if you want to contribute.

The Directory 

Our listings include profiles on everything Smithfield, from churches to parks to schools to restaurants, etc. We also include maps and photos of most businesses in our listings section. 

Events and Announcements

Our events calendar will be your source for everything that is happening in the town of Smithfield and the nearby area. It'll include everything from club meetings to recreation events and programs, and so much more. Our events team does a great job — but we can always use your help, so feel free to upload events to SmithfieldPatch.

Our announcements section is another great way for you to share important accomplishments or life events with your community. Did your child get a school award? Did you just get promoted? Do you want to thank someone for lending you a hand?  Post it on our announcements page and let everyone know!

Blogs

Patch is more than a news site. It's an online conversation about the community — but to keep the conversation going, we need your voice!

You may be asking yourself, "What would I even write about?"

Well, the answer is, anything! A blog offers the opportunity to share your thoughts, concerns, advice, and tips, get your name out to the community, get info about your local group out to the community, and so much more.

SmithfieldPatch is something for all of us to share -- I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for reading SmithfieldPatch!