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In the News… recap of the week ending May 3, 2025
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Budlong Pool will not open until 2026, with hidden aqueduct uncovered – splash pad going in at Doric Park in Cranston
Vermont has approx. 18,000 electric vehicles on the road – a 41% increase from last year
RWU student died of a medical condition in Italy
Dangerous ticks that carry disease found on rabbits in Maine
New Ground Round in Shrewsbury
Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore names Keith Stokes as Rhode Island’s next Historian Laureate, serving a term to conclude in April 2030.
Greg Cook, Executive Vice President and President, Institutional Group, for Ecolab will deliver the commencement address at Johnson & Wales
Chilmark voters approved a phase-out of gas-powered leaf blowers over three years, but amended the proposal to only place restrictions on contractors. Homeowners will not face restrictions while blowing their own leaves.
Baystate Health, MA reduces workforce by 7% – 3rd round of layoffs since fall 2024
RI reminding consumers to search for contractors through DBR’s online portal to ensure they are registered with the state before signing a contract or paying them.
Four hospitals within the Brown University Health system received an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. They are Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Newport Hospital, and Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River. Also receiving an “A” is Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket and Westerly Hospital
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse misses critical senate vote to not support tariffs of Pres. Trump – he was traveling from an Ocean conference in So. Korea. The vote would have been to support the negative action.
Media sources report that Ace Training School in Cranston, a nursing assistant training program since 2022 has been closed due to a “risk to the public”
Hasbro says they are speeding up moving out of China – could take a $300M hit – changing production to US as much as possible.
Low-cost pet clinic run by Potter Animal set to close – now may stay open under RI Community Pet Project agreement, if it goes through
RI Judges Procaccini and DiSegna to retire
Helena Foulkes, widely thought to make a run for Governor raised twice what Gov. McKee did in last quarter – some $600K+ – House Speaker Shekarchi still has the most in his war chest
Nantucket is proposed building a new $125 million Our Island Home. A $14 million town employee housing project.
Gov McKee nominated Dennis Algiere to serve on the state’s Board of Education.
Cranston has indicated it will pick up minimal costs of RSVP staff at the Senior Center cut by the loss of the federal AmeriCorps program
New MA hospital names: St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, known by that name for 150 years is being rebranded as “Boston Medical Center – Brighton,”. Also renamed is the former “Good Samaritan Medical Center” in Brockton which now is “Boston Medical Center – South.” BMC acquired the hospitals from Steward
T.F. Green Airport considering privatizing its security and TSA services
The first 160 Rhode Island families to open a CollegeBound Saver account for a child up to 5 years old in May using a promo code are eligible to receive $250 to jumpstart their education savings.
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Door Dash provides opt-out of Mother’s Day messages
The State Bar of Texas rescinded a speaking invitation to the NAACP’s president after the civil rights group challenged the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Education Dept.
Minimum wage will increase in 21 states and 48 cities
30-year old driver plows into Philippine social event crowd in Vancouver, Canada – 11 killed, dozens more killed
Ferry hit by recreational boat in Clearwater, Florida – at least 1 dead, several injured, carrying 45 people – boat took off but has been identified
HSN Sect. Krisi Noem’s pocketbook was taken by two illegal migrants, both with records of theft
Pres. Trump declares Columbus Day will be a big deal this year and he will bring back the celebrations
World’s oldest person dies in Brazil at 116
800 arrested for deportation in Florida
UPS to cut 20,000 jobs, close some facilities – said to be automation, not financial problems
Over 120 arrested in Denver, CO at a hidden nightclub for illegals
Total power outages in France, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium – electricity, mobile phones, traffic signals, etc.
Conclave to begin May 7th to elect new Pope
Cardinal Becciu withdrew from consideration as Pope – Pope Francis had given him 2 letters not to run for Pope
Vehicle rammed into after-school program, killing 4, injuring others in Illinois
Martha Stewart said she has “never ordered in” in her life
US loses fighter jet in the Red Sea as it maneuvers to avoid a missile and slides off the deck of a ship
National dismantling proposed for AmeriCorps, VISTA, and Senior Corps volunteers (Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP volunteers)
CMS considering eliminating “prior authorizations” for seeing specialists
Wisconsin Supreme Court suspends Hannah Dugan, the Milwaukee judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities.
Sean Duffy, the Transportation secretary, says the administration wants to install a new air traffic control system soon.
Ford CEO Jim Farley: “We’re building a new plant in Ohio and Tennessee… We’re building two new factories in the U.S. and we’re the most American already.”
US Senate tie on tariff vote broken by VP Vance – President acknowledges a small increase everyone will face on items
Columbia Univ. student Mahdawi freed on bail by court decision – legal problems still exist – gives speech: “President Trump and the US Cabinet: I am not afraid of you”.
Ukraine and US sign minerals deal
Michael Bolton reveals he has glioblastoma – diagnosed since 2023
English Football Assoc. joins Scotland FA to ban transgender women from women’s football from next season
Canadian PM Mark Carney heard saying that their commitment to Net Zero is about making “a lot of money”, not “saving the planet”. “We’re gonna make a lot of money off of this.”
University of California, Berkeley manipulated human sight via lasers to discover “olo,” an impossibly saturated blue-green hue that doesn’t exist in nature and can’t be recreated on a screen. Normally, the human eye can view 10 million different colors.
Pres. Trump gave the commencement at Univ. of Alabama
CBS nominated for an Emmy for ‘60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris interview at center of Trump suit
Vatican has installed the chimney that will reveal black or white smoke when a new pope vote occurs
Fox News’ Steve Doocy after 30 years he will not host the morning “on the couch” segment, getting up at 3am – he will work 3 days a week and he and his family are moving to Florida, where they will report from
CVS to exit the individual exchange business (Obamacare) where Aetna independently operates ACA plans for 2026. “The Company is best able to serve members through its other health benefit solutions, which offer access to quality care, affordable health benefits and exceptional service.”
Prince Harry loses appeal to have his security restored
Princess Charlotte turns 10
US jobs report – adds 177,000 jobs, and unemployment rate holding steady at 4.2%.
India has sided with the US in the Trade War saying they will serve as the “MAJOR REPLACEMENT” for Chinese manufacturing for US – and the world
Harvard has renamed its “Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging,” to “Community and Campus Life” and dropped special graduations for members of various groups
Small Cessna plane with 3 on board emergency lands on a Pacific Palisades, CA golf course, avoiding people, buildings, trees, sand traps – all safe
7.5 earthquake hit Argentina and Chile
Kentucky Derby runs on Saturday – full rain predicted
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PASSINGS
Robert “Bob” McClellan Beagle, 82, URI VP
Ruth Buzzi, 88, famous for Laugh-In role. Died in Texas after a long battle with Alzheimers, had been a resident of Westerly, RI
Good thoughts about the battery powered equipment. We moved to a nice neighborhood. Thought it would be great. From Saturday morning to Sunday night the ‘residents’ (who could all afford to hire a lawn service, but don’t) are out there with roaring gas power equipment all weekend. There’s hardly a moment of peace and quiet. It finishes up with the maniac with his backpack blower out there behind our house at seven o’clock on Sunday evening. Quiet battery powered machines would be wonderful, and it has to happen someday.
phase-out of gas-powered leaf blowers — but only for contractors.
Another small government decision that totally lacks common sense.
Battery-powered leaf blowers are not practical for contractors. Too heavy and not enough run time out of the batteries. And too expensive. With their lack of power, they are just not practical for landscapers — who have to cover multiple properties — not enough punch to get all that work done. And all that work is necessary to conduct a landscaping business. And — the contractors are on properties during the week, when the homeowners usually aren’t home.
On the contrary, if there is anyone who should be using a battery (non-gas-powered) leaf blowers, it is homeowners. They only have one property to take care of. So battery is practical for them. By doing that, they can be the ones not disturbing neighbors. Because they are the weekend warriors who go out on say, a Sunday morning, and start up their roaring power equipment. If anyone should be required to operate battery powered equipment, it should be homeowners. And that would include battery lawn mowers — which ARE efficient for a single yard.
A typical dream-world, non-sensible action from local government officials.