In the news… for June 3, 2023

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

190 candidates have registered for TODAY’s Providence Public School Department Hiring Event – 584 positions are currently being recruited for and applications are encouraged online

An extra 515 acres for quahogging in Mt. Hope Bay, Warren were opened on May 28

Newport Polo will host the Ukraine Polo Team on its only North American stop in its Global Goodwill Tour to open its 2023 season TODAY, Saturday, June 3rd. The features USA vs. Ukraine at the Newport International Polo Series.

Pawtucket will be conducting a Statistical Revaluation for 2024. The purpose is to reconcile property assessments to their full and fair cash value as of December 31, 2024. This year, the revaluation will only take place for properties that have sold during the past 18 months.

Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co., New England’s largest “Brewstillery” by production, unveiled their new outdoor area as its $22 million, 6 acre renovation project nears completion at 293 Connell Highway, Newport

Fire in a Johnston Section 8 housing complex caused by fire in mulch – 4 taken to hospital including 1 firefighter, injuries not severe – 50 people displaced

Large melee at Revere Beach on Memorial Day weekend, ends with 2 shot

The Boston YMCA, owning more than 12 properties, will do a study about their best use

Former Governor Gina Raimondo spoke at a Brown University graduation and asked grads to “stick around” to help Rhode Island

Newport’s Wellington Resort will be converted from a 51-unit timeshare property into a 152-room traditional hotel. The tennis courts that were converted to pickle ball courts and then closed because of the irritating noise to the neighbors, will be converted back to tennis courts.

The Warwick Neck Lighthouse is being offered, free, to a nonprofit, the state of RI, or Warwick, being one of several around the US being offered free or at auction

11th Hour Racing Team win Leg 5, grab overall lead in The Ocean Race 

RI Lifeguard sign-on bonus of $500 – plus $500 retention at the end of the summer being offered at RI beaches – contact RIDEM

RI reports 30 DUI arrests over the long Memorial Day weekend

3 boys were injured by playing in “The Bells” an abandoned, historical Newport abandoned house – 2 days later the state announced it will take down the building, though the Preservation Society had wanted to save it. The RIDEM says it has to have something put up in its place, by federal standards.

The Providence Noise Project will look into over-reaching noise in Providence neighborhoods

A man died under a Green Line Trolley in Boston – he had missed his train, kicked the side of the bus and fell under it

Providence Mayor Smiley says he will be working on a re-do to the Broad Street bike lanes.

RIHousing, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, and Rhode Island Energy extended the 2023 Zero Energy for the Ocean State Program to 5pm on August 31. The extension allows developers to submit proposals for a competitive round of funding for grants of up to $500,000 to design and construct affordable, energy efficient housing for low- and moderate-income Rhode Islanders.

Providence will invest $522,000 into dedicated staff for improving trash, litter and graffiti removal. We also proposed another $193,000 in staff dedicated to making much needed sidewalk improvements so that everyone can safely use them.

160 ATV/motor bikes have been seized in the last few weeks in Providence – in the last 3 years, 100 were seized.

Providence is budgeting for an entirely new grafitti squad

Pawt. Mayor Grebien has announced he will not run for CD1

Jeremy Langill is the new Executive Minister of the RI State Council on Churches

Construction on the nation’s first major offshore wind farm has stalled for the 5th day straight in New Bedford as the International Longshoremen’s Association is picketing

The RI Attorney General and the Rhode Island Department of Health, the two state regulators empowered to oversee hospital conversions in Rhode Island said that the materials submitted do not constitute an Initial Application as required under the Hospital Conversions Act. The materials do not respond to the most recent, publicly available application form and do not include responses to transaction-specific questions. This involves the initial submission by Prospect Medical Holdings and The Centurion Foundation regarding CharterCARE, which includes Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.

4 of 9 people have left the Providence vital statistics office with no explanation

Massachusetts hired the first standalone housing secretary in more than three decades, Ed Augustus, is on the job. Eviction filings so far this year are more than double the number seen in 2022 as housing costs continue to climb. Massachusetts needs to build some 200,000 homes in the next eight years to stabilize rent and home prices.

Boston University’s retiring president left his final class of graduating students on a sour note, calling students out for so-called “cancel culture” after they booed and shouted obscenities at the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO speaker amid the ongoing writers’ strike

Congressman Cicilline had his last day in Congress on May 31 – he started at the RI Foundation on June 1^st

Compass Medical with 6 offices in nearby MA has closed all its offices, with no notice. Patients are being directed to nearby emergency room or urgent care – and to keep checking the website – records should be available on the patient portal, if patients were set up to receive them there.

Special Olympics Rhode Island 2023 Summer Games at URI starts this weekend

Primary Election in RI will be held on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 and the Special Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 for run for District 1 Congressional seat

The Big E will be held from 9/15 to 10/1 – the Association of RI Authors will have a booth there which will be open throughout

Capron Park Zoo in financial trouble. Looking to develop a plan.

A one year road diversion on Route 37 while RIDOT makes major bridge/road changes

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH)’s new, user-friendly online registration system is now available for medical marijuana patients and authorized purchasers in Rhode Island. The portal will shorten processing time and eliminate the need to fill out and mail paper documents.  The new system, known as the Rhode Island Cannabis Licensing Portal, lets existing card holders renew registrations, update personal information, and make necessary changes to their existing registration cards. New patients applying for a medical marijuana registration card will now apply through the Cannabis Licensing Portal as well. The RIDOH Cannabis Licensing Portal User Guide has step-by-step directions on how to use the online portal. 

Trulieve Cannabis shops will close throughout US – including MA – with one remaining in CT

Medicare says it will pay for new Alzheimers medications

Prostate cancer drugs are scarce – some patients getting them from Europe

FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for older Americans for RSV

Gannett journalists set to strike next week

Church in Spencer, MA burns to the ground

Styrofoam take-out containers, and plastic stirrers are expected to be banned in RI, with broad exceptions, as legislature works its way through the process.

Amos House has 357 new housing units coming on the market.

Actors Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen will be honored Monday at the Pell Awards Gala at Trinity Rep

Celtics coach Joe Mazzula, from Johnston, RI, will return next year

Wegman’s, in Natick, MA will close

Boston investing over one billion dollars to address coastal erosion, flooding problems

Late night budget press conference on Friday night:

RI Attorney General will see 15 of the requested 20 positions funded by the legislature for a cold-case team. – Universal free lunch for RI students not included – $3M more to RI Food Bank – $75M to Developmental Disabilities as part of federal lawsuit –Housing Sect. Pryor will NOT have eminent domain powers – No sales tax reduction – Significant funding for Rhode Island College included

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

JP Morgan Chase lays off 500 more in tech

Ford will make EV chargers that can be used at Tesla charging stations

State Farm Insurance will no longer insure homes in California – due to wildfires, etc. They will also no longer sell business insurance.

Taylor Swift concert went on to NY Tri-state area with another 3 nights – compared to hosting 3 superbowls at MetLife Stadium

52% of Americans say that money is having a negative impact on their mental health, up sharply from 42% a year ago – according to BankRate

Baltimore institutes curfew for teens from Memorial Day through Labor Day in attempt to curb crime

225 missing children across the US were found by a US Marshall Service effort, including in MA

Texas AG impeached by vote of their Congress – the AG is pushing back against the impeachment who he says is being persecuted because of his support for Donald Trump

NIH researchers listed symptoms of long COVID: fatigue, especially after exercise; brain fog; dizziness; gastrointestinal symptoms; heart palpitations; issues with sexual desire or capacity; loss of smell or taste; thirst; chronic cough; chest pain; and abnormal movements.

British government requesting grocers keep their prices down

New Mexico annual biker rally – 3 dead, 5 injured in shooting brawl

Shooting in beach area of Hollywood, FL leaves 9 injured, including children

Carnival cruise ship hit by massive storm off No. Carolina, leaving rooms with broken glass, water inside

Russia issues warrant for the arrest of Lindsay Graham

Large apartment building partially collapses, with 8 injured

Ukraine hit Moscow with several drones in escalated attacks

Emergency summit being held after 12 horses died at Churchhill Downs in recent weeks

Research showing 1 in 10 get long COVID

Gas prices are rising again

Former first lady Roslyn Carter said to have dementia

Former Theranos head, Elizabeth Holmes, begins 11 year term in minimum security women’s prison

Chris Christie will announce next week for President

Tara Reade, who accused Pres. Joe Biden of sexual assault is in the process of defecting to Russia

Automatic Breaking Systems will be required on all new cars

Debt ceiling has been extended for 2 years

Canada adds health warning notices to EACH cigarette, not only the overall package

Current law requires most able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 without dependents to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period. The bill phases in higher age limits for those work requirements, bringing the maximum age to 54 by 2025.But as part of the compromise with Democrats, the provision is slated to expire five years later. At that time, the maximum age for the work requirements would drop back down to 49.

As Novo Nordisk’s powerful weight-loss medicines remain in short supply, the FDA is warning consumers that the purported versions of Ozempic and Wegovy offered online might not be what they seem.

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lands teaching gig at Harvard after leaving office

US military bases will no longer hold drag shows as entertainment

June is National Pride Month

Pres. Biden’s promise to impact student loans fails and on Aug. 30^th will end the student loan repayment program

Allstate joins State Farm in stopping writing home owners insurance in California.

Gannett Newsrooms will have a 1 or 2 day strike next week to protest on behalf of journalists. Gannett owns the Providence Journal, RI Southern Publications, the Woonsocket Call, the Pawtucket Times, the Worcester paper.

261 dead in Indian train derailment

Churchill Downs will stop racing until causes for the death of horses is determined. Belmont Stakes reports death of one horse after he bumped against another horse and broke his leg.

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PASSINGS

Ed Ames, 95, actor

George Maharis, 94, actor famous for Route 66, Fantasy Island

Thomas “TJ” May, 45, shot by neighbor in Johnston

M. Theresa Santos, 88, Middletown Councilwoman