In the News… recap for week ending 10.26.24

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

RICAS scores in RI in English language arts fell from 33.1% to 30.8%

Defibrillators and bleed control kits will be installed at Roger Wheeler State Beach, Scarborough North State Beach, Scarborough South State Beach, Salty Brine State Beach, and Fisherman’s Memorial Campground

$15B Medicaid contracts in RI rescinded and proposals will be rescored, after complaint by BCBSRI

Skyline restaurant lease owner, Michael Mota, has settled with the city for approx. $270k to be paid to him to leave

Washington County Fair, Rockwell Amusements raise $41,450 for Children’s Hospital

Hope St. Merchants group successful in putting off reconstruction of street’s sidewalks, about to be done by the city, because of holiday shopping time

RIPTA no longer considering Parcel 35 on the I-195 Land for the new bus hub

Johnson & Wales first college in US to offer 3-year Bachelors degree

Johnston native Mazullo, coach of Celtics – had the team banner raised

Johnston Elementary School topping off ceremony held

NBC10 new news director is Doug Lezette

RITBA’s EZ-Pass system will be off-line Friday, October 25and Monday, October 28 while a new system is installed

WGBH will bring back some format of “Basic Black” which had been canceled – hosted by Paris Alston

Takeda lays off employees in MA – bringing layoffs to over 900

Teachers at the Providence charter Paul Cuffee Upper School voted to unionize per the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals announced

AI-assisted cheating at Brown and other universities pushes some professors to return to in-person exams

RISD student group may submit a divestment proposal to governing group

Applebee’s, Cranston, fire ruled accidental – said to be caused by grease in ductwork, and cleaning process

Nighttime Washington Bridge removal is over – daytime will continue for now

Claudia De la Cruz, presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation campaigned in RI Friday at the Southside Cultural Center in Providence

The RI ACLU has filed suit against the RI Dept. of Corrections for failing to assure attorney client communications privilege

Escaped prisoner from ACI re-captured – found at the Super 8 Motel in West Greenwich

According to Rocket Moving, Rhode Island closes the ranking of the states that move the most, with tenth place and 3,573 movers, closely following Nevada. Most people here choose Massachusetts as their new home, 11,290 people out of 39,156 state-to-state movers. Similar to other state-to-state moves, Massachusetts offers a higher quality of life and safety, but rent is much more difficult to afford.

225 Main St in Pawtucket is now building a group of tenants such as Community Health Network and Black Lives Matter RI, with the Professional Adult Development Institute

Brown University will hold its Family Weekend this weekend

Applebee’s investigation now says the building had not been inspected in 2 years – and the fire began while a hood system was being overnight cleaned. No comment from Applebee’s.

Central Falls education system seen as failing – Mayor wants the department returned to the city from the state

Comedy Connection, EP, bought the Columbus Theatre – plan on opening for comedy, local artists, bands, film screenings, community events

Foster Parents Bird Sanctuary will be raising money to build a 29,000 sq. ft. sanctuary with larger cages than its current facility

Hasbro to lay off “dozens” of employees – says they will decide if they are staying or going in first part of 2025

B. Good closes several Boston locations

RI received a 3-year Preschool Development Birth Through Age Five Planning Grant of $4.95 million per year from the federal Administration for Children and Families to enhance and continue a wide range of child care initiatives aligned with Rhode Island’s 2030 plan to strengthen the childcare sector.

RI State Police building new barracks in W. Greenwich.

Thundermist is “no longer living paycheck-to-paycheck” says their CEO

The Rhode Island State Energy Center, in Johnston, a combined cycle gas power plant, will be purchased by Shell Energy from EGCO Group and Cogentrix, a Carlyle portfolio company.

Textron names David Rosenberg, chief of investor relations to replace Frank Connor, retiring, as CFO.

Mount Hope Bridge inspections will be done October 28th through November 11th from 9am to 3pm. One lane will be closed, and traffic will alternate.

Pawt. Soccer Stadium now set to open in April 2025

RI first annual “Palestine Day” set for Saturday, October 26 from 11am – 6pm at Masjid Al Kareem parking lot, 39 Haskins Street, Providence

RIC and CCRI have been approved for tuition increases

Brown U has renamed the Daily Stop Mart (and smoke shop) on Waterman as the Brown Mart Smoke Shop

Only the town of W. Greenwich, RI does not have a post office – every other city/town has at least one (ProJo)

Maria Sharapova elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport – along with Bob and Mike Bryan

RIPTA to Reopen East Side Tunnel on Thursday, October 31, 2024

The Maria Mitchell Association has pulled out of so-called “Good Neighbor Agreement” with Vineyard Wind, alleging the offshore wind company breached terms of the agreement of August 2020. 

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Dock gangway to ferry collapsed in Georgia – 7 dead, 8 taken to hospital, several in critical condition

Cuba continues a blackout due to an unprecedented power outage

US will send another $400 million in military aid for Ukraine.

43% of Americans strongly support domestic oil production per oil institute poll

Chick-fil-a will launch a streaming service – “digital extension of their restaurant experience” in mid-November

King Charles was heckled while speaking in Australia’s Parliament

28% of Americans have not paid off their holiday debt from last year

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries and two other men have been arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. Crimes said to have taken place in New York, London, Paris, England, France, Italy, Morocco, often in the Hamptons, and elsewhere.  Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson said to have used model scouts to find victims internationally from 2008 to 2015.

Death row inmate who was given a reprieve to testify before congress on shaken baby syndrome did not because of transportation issues from prison to congress.

McDonald’s issued a memo to let employees know it does not endorse candidates

Albania arrests former President on charges of graft – could face

Buy Buy Baby closes its stores – again – can still shop online

Student Loan payment pause for 6 mos for some select borrowers

New Zealand airport has a 3 minute hugging good-bye restriction – asking people to use the parking lot if they want to hug longer than that

47 items, including over 20 watches, owned by Tom Brady, worth a total of $20M, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s

1,000 prisoners released in UK under early release program

Harvey Weinstein diagnosed with leukemia

Youngest son of late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner wants to buy back his father’s franchise. Cooper Hefner submitted an offer with a group of investors to buy the Playboy brand from Playboy Group for $100 million

McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak over 1-2 weeks ago in Colorado and other mid-western states. CDC issues warning. Chain pulls some products. Suspects are quarter-pounder with cheese and slivered onions. 75 are ill and 1 dead across 13 states.

In Lewiston, ME, one year after tragic shooting, nearly no new gun laws or regulations have been passed, with focus being on how the military system should have caught the shooter’s rapid decline given all the warning signals.

There has been at least a 12% reduction in overdose deaths in US from May, 2023 to May, 2024

Reports that a new influx of migrants are coming over the border, ahead of the Presidential election.

Chelsea Gabbard joins the Republican party. Gabbard has been a Democrat and then an Independent

SpaceX has returned the US crew on board the Space Station to Earth. One of the astronauts remains in the hospital for further evaluation out of an abundance of caution.

Pres. Biden formally apologized to Native Americans for past treatments

At least 3,000 North Korean troops have entered Russia to fight against Ukraine

Justin Timberlake cancels concert tour due to illness.

Cardi B cancels concerts due to hospitalization for a medical emergency

The Israeli military six Palestinians in Gaza as Al Jazeera reporters who it said were also members of the Hamas or Islamic Jihad militant groups

American rapper Lil Durk has been arrested and is being charged Murder For Hire

25 faculty members suspended from Harvard library for demonstrations

The UN says the planet will warm by 5 degrees by the end of the century

US govt gave final approval to Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, the first domestic source of the battery metal to be permitted and one that will become a key supplier to Ford and other electric vehicle manufacturers.

Vermont Catholic Diocese declares bankruptcy

Washington Post will not endorse a candidate for president – and says they never will again.

New York Post endorsed Donald Trump

RFK Jr. investigation into his cutting off a whale’s head showed it was a fake story, with no basis in reality – NOAA did the investigation

USPS releases ship-by dates for Christmas delivery in continental US: Dec. 18 for USPS ground advantage service and first-class mail service – Dec. 19 for priority mail service – Dec. 21 for priority mail express service

Chinese hackers were into both phone systems of Trump and Harris

Maryland Key bridge disaster settles with ship company for $102M

Israel launched its retaliatory strike Friday night in Iran, a strategic effort over several hours – all war planes returned, with no losses

Studies to look into restarting Three Mile Island nuclear reactor are underway

Neiman Marcus redid their Christmas/holiday catalog to remove the word Christmas, citing “inclusivity”

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PASSINGS

Ron Ely, 86, played Tarzan, known best for the Tarzan yell

Jack Jones, 86, singer of Love Boat theme

Phil Lesh, 84, original bassist with Grateful Dead

Anthony Lombardi, 83, owner, New England Frozen Lemonade