A Vineyard Haven man already facing rape charges in Dukes County superior court was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday for allegedly soliciting the murder of a prosecutor.

David L. Thrift was indicted by the grand jury on two counts of solicitation to commit a felony as well as charges of aggravated rape of a child and aggravated rape of a child with force.

Reports that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) wants to open a bingo hall in Aquinnah came as a surprise to members of the Island community this week. But documents filed with the federal gaming commission show plans to conduct gaming on the Vineyard have been in the works since at least November.

Tisbury and Oak Bluffs have signed an agreement to send their solid waste to a New Bedford facility.

The Oak Bluffs selectmen Tuesday gave the go-ahead for a 10-year agreement with the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District for the two towns to dispose of solid waste. Tisbury selectmen approved the proposal two weeks earlier.

Thimble Farm is now expected to go on the market after a community coalition that had formed last year to buy the farm failed to raise enough money.

The group was called the Martha’s Vineyard Farm Project and the goal was to buy the 37-acre farm that is currently leased by Whippoorwill Farm owner Andrew Woodruff.

But farm owner Eric Grubman, a seasonal resident of Katama, confirmed that the coalition was unable to realize a plan to buy the farm and turn it into a nonprofit food-producing operation.

Voter turnout may have been low at the Aquinnah town election and annual meeting this week, but those that did turn out came prepared to approve large expenditures and voice their disapproval of the Oak Bluffs roundabout.

A total of 54 voters, or 14 per cent of registered voters, went to the polls Wednesday to approve a $175,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override for the annual budget. The override passed 33 to 19. Aquinnah was the only town on the Island to seek a general override this year.

There’s a spring awakening — of commerce, new beginnings and friendship — on Winter street in Edgartown.

In one storefront, Michael Hunter has started a pop-up outpost of his cool, eclectic Oak Bluffs shop, Piknik. Next door, Recep Dinli has traveled considerably farther to open his store, Kissmet, which sells brightly-colored, handmade wares from his native Turkey.

Both men said serendipity brought them to this corner of Edgartown near Nevin Square, a block away from Main street.

Opinion in five of the six Vineyard towns is running strongly against the proposed roundabout at the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs, the results of a recent nonbinding referendum show. Aquinnah this week was the last of five towns to vote on the nonbinding question that appeared on every annual town election town ballot except Oak Bluffs this spring. In Oak Bluffs there was no ballot question, but an article on the annual town meeting warrant saw strong voter support in a voice vote.

It’s spring and time to take to the road. But instead of hitting the fossil fuels, use your legs as gas. In other words, jump into Bike Week, happening all over Massachusetts next week.

Here on the Vineyard, Phil Hughes from Wheel Happy Too is joining the YMCA’s after-school prgram on Monday, May 15, at 3:45 p.m. to give a presentation on the importance of proper bike etiquette. The event is for children ages five to eleven.

For more details, call 508-696-7171, extenion 108 or visit ymcamv.org.

The state Supreme Judicial Court Wednesday denied an Edgartown resident’s attempt to intervene in commonwealth approval of a power contract between Cape Wind Associates and the utility National Grid.

Richard Melone and others petitioned to intervene in the power agreement, though an unsigned decision by the court determined that the Department of Public Utilities had the right to deny Mr. Melone’s request to intervene in the department’s approval of the power agreement.

Dustin Shaw of Oak Bluffs was sworn in as the newest full-time police officer in Oak Bluffs in a May 2 ceremony. Dustin previously worked for the Tisbury police.

Dustin was born and raised in Oak Bluffs. He graduated from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 2003. He graduated from Norwich University in May 2007 and the Massachusetts State Police Municipal Academy in New Braintree in 2008.

He was a petty officer 3rd class boatswain’s mate in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves from 2005 to 2011.