In the news… summary for week ending August 10th

Rhode Island & Vicinity

Plans for soccer stadium in Everett, MA not approved

Wonder, a food delivery company operating in 30 cities, is coming to East Providence

URI Trustees approve a $700K bonus for President Parlange

Steward lays off 1,200 workers as it makes plans to close two hospitals

‘Miramar’ estate in Newport, first built for Titanic survivor, will eventually become a museum, at the death of the current owners, the Schwarzman family.

Bishop Henning of Providence will become the new Archibishop of Boston, replacing Archbishop O’Malley

A new 72-hour waiting period law takes effect in Maine on Friday, requiring those who purchase a gun to wait three days before taking it home.

5 MBTA stations stock Narcan emergency kits on the walls

ZDS Architecture founder Eric Zuena says Providence needs more upscale housing — and a better jobs market for working professionals.

Market Basket buys Showcase building in Seekonk

Am-Source, a plastics company in Narragansett Industrial Park in Pawtucket has closed, after emerging from bankruptcy

Cranston’s Weinerama has closed – building is for sale – 62 years in business

Cranston’s Solitro Bakery in the Knightsville neighborhood, is closing

A Plan B vending machine is installed at Boston University, payable with any credit card

Honey Baked Ham Co., the popular seller of spiral-cut hams, is adding eight stores in New England, including Rhode Island.

Fishermen who frequent South Watuppa Pond in Westport and Fall River should not eat their catch more than once every two months. Same goes for Long Pond in Lakeville and Freetown. (More… https://newbedfordlight.org/state-warns-about-eating-fish-from-south-watuppa-westport-fall-river-pond-long-pond-lakeville-freetown/ )

In Worcester, in addition to the WooSox, three new apartment towers have risen near a remade Kelley Square. Old storefronts down the hill are now largely filled with bars, restaurants, and eclectic shops. (MASS List)

Kevin Graney, president of Electric Boat since 2019, will retire on Dec. 1.  Parent company is General Dynamics

The Dough Company in Fall River, opened in the pandemic, will close

VP candidate Welz is coming to Newport on Aug. 16^th for a political fundraiser

CVS slashes financial expectations by over 25%, fired 3 Aetna executives and the CEO will move to directly manage the Aetna division, which is where she came from

Brockton Hospital set to reopen next week

RI Recycled Metals to renew their business

Providence Public School District achieved a 12.1 percentage point decline in chronic absenteeism, reducing the rate from 48.4% in 2022-2023 to 36.2%. 

Breeze Airlines will add direct flights from T.F. Green Airport to Daytona Beach, FL and Wilmington, NC

The Sackler name will be retained on two Harvard buildings, despite their role in the opioid crisis.

The 2 Airport signs cost approx. $10M+ (Boston Globe)

Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed Providence’s A3 rating on the City’s outstanding General Obligation (GO) Bonds

MA state and local officials broke ground for a $13.5M early education center in Fall River. The People Incorporated Early Education Center will open in 2025 and at any one time host 213 babies and preschoolers.

At least 4 of 14 Newport Art Museum staffers have been let go as the museum deals with financial troubles.

PC restores Men’s Golf and will add Women’s Golf team in 2025

In Maine, 4 local newspapers will merge into The Midcoast Villager – The Free Press, Camden Herald, The Republican Journal and The Courier-Gazette

Miramar mansion owners presented it to be opened as a museum – 3 buildings on property

A RI resident died from vibriosis, coming from being in water with bacteria that may have entered through an open cut or wound – first death in RI since 2017.

A Pawtucket 15-year old group home resident ran away and she was found in a 32-year old staffer’s home in Central Falls, 2 weeks after going missing

Proposed homeless shelter in Barnstable, on the Cape, may not open due to community opposition

57 homeless in Boston were evicted, Boston Globe reports only 11 actually left

This weekend is tax-free weekend in MA, where purchases under $2,500 are free of the 6.25% tax

 ___

National & International

The only giraffe in Nevada has died after a fall in the zoo

Baby gorilla born at the Detroit Zoo – first in  96 years

Donald Trump has agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The debate was previously scheduled with Pres. Joe Biden on ABC. Trump is in litigation against ABC Network and George Stephanopoulos, creating a conflict of interest. The FoxNews Debate will be held in Pennsylvania, with moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, before a full audience. Kamala Harris has only agreed to the ABC debate – with moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir.

Hunter Biden sentencing to take place on November 13th, just 8 days after the US Election

Rod Stewart cancels his 200th show “due to illness”

CA Gov. Newsome helping to clear encampments – over 21,000 homeless in LA alone

US embassy urges citizens to leave Lebanon on ‘any ticket available’: statement – Sat, 8/3

San Diego Zoo welcomes 2 Giant Pandas from China

CDC tells doctors they must prioritize pain reduction for women wanting an IUD

The famous Banyan tree in Hawaii that was burned in the large fires in Lahaina is recovering and growing new leaves and branches again

Under Armour’s founder returned to the company and profits are rising again

The Pope “deplores the offence” of The Last Supper reference at the opening of the Olympics

Family members of British Embassy workers in Beirut have been evacuated from the region.

Australia ordeerd all public employees in South Wales back into the office

Underground Bunker complex in Jerusalem, for use by senior Israeli military and government officials for extended stays during wartime, has been opened. The bunker can sustain hits from a range of weaponry and is connected to the Defense Ministry HQ in Tel Aviv.

CVS Health has closed 851 stores nationwide

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu appoints Dr. Omer Dostri as the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson. Dostri, 37, has media experience and holds a Ph.D. in political science from Bar-Ilan University, and has served as a researcher andhas published numerous articles on the military and national security.

CVS expanding into full health clinics in select locations.

Walgreens experimenting with much smaller stores in select locations.

2 women pushed onto the NYC subway tracks by another woman – both were slightly injured – no trains were coming at the time

Ukraine now using old F-16s given to them by US

20 year old son of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in the ICU after a serious accident on an e-bike, suffering from “multiple trauma”

Russian submarine sunk by Ukraine

Bangladesh PM leaves country – and parliament disassembled

Court fails to delay Donald Trump sentencing – set for late September

Court rules Google is a monopoly on Search for the internet

AXIOS lays off 10% of staff

Caterpillar raises profit expectations

Taylor Swift’s 3 concerts in Vienna, Austria have been canceled after terror plot uncovered and arrests made. Suspect pledged to Islamic nation, was going to pose as police, on a suicide mission to kill as many people  as possible. Had engaged a concert worker as an accomplice.Her concerts will continue in UK.

2 astronauts “stuck” in space at the Int’l Space Station may not get to return until 2025 – however NASA may ask SpaceX to bring astronauts home.

Kamala Harris said if elected she would consider an arms embargo on Israel

Tampa Bay Times is reducing their staff by 20%, offering retirements, etc.

61 killed in crash of large airliner in Brazil – notably many people missed the plane because they went to the wrong gate, argued with the airport staff about missing the plane, etc.

Donald Trump plane diverted due to mechanical issue on way to a Montana rally – landed safely

VP candidate Walz spox clarifies he “misspoke” about using weapons “in war”

NYT editorial: “Presidential campaigns increasingly are conducted as performances before a sympathetic audience, one that is invited to watch and listen but not to question or respond.”

From a FOI request, recordings of Las Vegas police assisting in road closures for President Biden to go from the hotel to a hospital – and then diverting while en route to the airport – plane departed immediately and arrived in Washington in 3 hours – normally a 5 1/2 hour flight. President widely thought to have suffered a medical issue which also caused speech cancellation that night.

Breakdancer competitor at Olympics disqualified for wearing a jacket that said, “Free Afghan Women” – she was originally from Afghanistan, competing on the Olympic Refugee Team

Rep. Cori Bush, of MO, lost her re-election bid in a primary, got her start in the greater BLM movement, along with several others who went on to hold office – Bush says her loss has now “radicalized her” to fight back. 2nd member of “The Squad” to lose re-election.

___

Passings

Juan Chi Chi Rodruguez, 80, pro golfer