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In The News… summary for Dec. 23, 2023
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation Executive Director Joseph Reposa has resigned, but will stay on as a consultant
The expansion of the Pawtucket/Central Falls train station parking lot is nearing completion, with a grand opening expected next month
The Johnston School Committee voted unanimously to approve a proposal by the Johnston Police Department to equip officers in schools with body-worn cameras.
Free ferry service will start Wednesday and operate continuously from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be three boats in total, one operated by Seastreak, which runs the summertime Newport-to-Providence ferries. The ferries will run from Bristol to Providence and back. RIPTA will provide free shuttles on both ends. In Bristol, the shuttles will bring commuters to Colt State Park, where parking is available. In Providence, they will connect riders to other forms of mass transit such as the bus and train.
Harvard applications drop by 17%
Zack Green, former meteorologist at NBC10, and then in Boston, is now at Fox Weather in NYC
CVS Health Foundation gave $75K to VNA of Care New England
Rhode Island Blood Center is encouraging blood donations by providing festive holiday socks to every presenting donor from December 21, 2023 to January 2, 2024 .
RI Office of Health and Human Services announced the opening of an additional DHS regional office located at 125 Holden St., in Providence, which will provide customer service for an array of benefit applications, transactions, document scanning, and interviews such asMedicaid, SNAP, and RI Works.
Governor has called for an independent review and a forensic review of the Henderson bridge issue
Brown University will build a new 7-story lab complex in the Jewelry District, demolishing a few buildings and creating bridges between buildings.
Providence Football Club will begin its season, playing at Bryant, on March 16th
The façade of the HealthTrax building in East Providence fell during the storm Monday
MA. Gov. Healey proposes going into budget surplus to fund homeless programs
If you have been affected in any way by the Washington Bridge crisis, fill out the survey put out by Commerce – https://commerceri.com/emergency-assistance/ for possible assistance.
RI opened an SBA’s Business Recovery Center at the Weaver Memorial Library in East Providence
Wood River Health was designated by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island as an LGBTQ+ Safe Zone, certifying that it provides care that meets the specific needs of patients who identify as LGBTQ+ – adult and pediatric services including behavioral health, primary care, medical imaging, physical therapy, obstetrics and gynecology.
Navigant Credit Union has opened its first branch office in Providence, at 179 West River St., which is next to the main branch of the US post office. The branch used to be the Postal Government Employee Federal Credit Union.
Kent Hospital pays $35K to settle ADA complaint about not providing a sign interpreter for a patient who was deaf during a 5-day hospital stay.
The offshore waves south of Nantucket on Monday were taller than the Green Monster at Fenway Park – a quote from the National Weather Service this week
While Brown University did not charge the first set of protestors who sat in Pres. Paxson’s office, it will charge the 2nd group and they will be brought into court the first week of January.
The lower level of Rhodes on the Pawtuxet was flooded in the rainstorm
Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was moved to a prison in Oklahoma city, his 3rd prison address, but no one saying one he is continuously moving
Lifespan wants to invest $300M for bond issues for construction projects
The RI Judiciary wants to close the Garrahy courthouse in Providence and build a new one in the Pastore Complex in Cranston for approx. $350M
BIRD e-bikes filed for bankruptcy. They are in Providence.
LaSalette Shrine lights are back on after storm
Apponaug Brewery closed for further notice due to flooding
Waites Wharf Hotel was denied adding more rooms to their proposed development in Newport
Cambridge brothel “show cause” hearings will be open to the media, with 28 people to come before the court.
Sail for Hope raised just under $40K for Maui relief
Portion of Beverage Hill Ave in Pawtucket that has been closed for many weeks was reopened.
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
FEMA in Hawaii is buying up short-term rentals used for tourists to turn them into permanent housing for those who lost their homes in the fires
Arizona sending National Guard to its border with Mexico
Senate staffer terminated after filming himself having sex in the Senate chambers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fell at a concert, broke his hip, and had surgery
Notre Dame Church in London had its giant rooster weathervane reinstalled
In Delaware, Pres. Biden’s car was hit by another driver – no injuries to anyone, including 1st lady
Large recall of Quaker Oats granola bars over concern of salmonella
Teamsters authorize strike at Anheuser-Busch
U.S. Steel has agreed to be acquired by Nippon Steel Corp., the Japanese steelmaker
Vase bought at Goodwill for $4 sells for more than $100K
Pope Francis & The Vatican issues approval for priests to give blessings to same sex couples, which should not be deemed approval of their union.
Long anticipated disruption of a Volcano in Iceland erupts near Grindavík
Taylor Swift bought a mansion in London
Canteloupe contamination can come from tainted water used in irrigation, or in cleaning and cooling the melons. Poor hygienic practices of workers, pests in packing facilities and equipment that’s not cleaned and sanitized properly can also lead to contamination.
Bagged spinach for some states, (not in New England), have been recalled for listeria contamination
Princess Diana dress auctioned for $1.1 Million
Gov. Abbott of Texas says the federal govt has left Texas on its own and it has passed a law saying illegal entry into the US is illegal and local law enforcement now have powers of arrest. Prisons and jails have no room to accommodate the thousands streaming in.
In Texas, daily records are being made of refugees coming over the border. 12,000 is the latest and the highest – most coming from Venezuela, but also from many other countries.
The Epstein list is set to be released in days
Chick-Fil-A was opened in 1946 (in Georgia) and never opens on Sundays – New York is requiring them to open on Sundays or give up their valuable rest stop license they were given. Courts to settle.
Major rail bridges at the US-Mexico border are closing due to a surge in migrant influx
The IRS will waive penalty fees for people who failed to pay back taxes that total less than $100,000 per year for tax years 2020 and 2021. Nearly 5 million people, businesses and tax-exempt organizations – most making under $400,000 per year – will be eligible for the relief starting this week, which totals about $1 billion.
Action News, NJ reporter and photographer killed when their helicopter crashed
Venezuela releases 10 Americans they have held for years – in exchange for a controversial group of prisoners the US has released
Colorado Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump cannot be on the ballot in Colorado – the court members have gotten threats since that time – it is expected SCOTUS will rule on this for the nation, and that states cannot go one by one
Texas is chartering planes to take migrants to NYC, after NY has impounded buses so they couldn’t return to Texas.
14 people killed, 25 injured at a mass shooting at a Prague university – shooter in his mid-20s, came to the university after shooting his father, no criminal record, owned guns legally, attack premeditated, described as a “high-achiever”
NORAD’s Santa Tracker begins Christmas Eve: https://www.noradsanta.org/en/
Google Santa Feed is also live: https://santatracker.google.com/
AAA predicts record travel through New Year’s
Gov. Healey in MA will open a courthouse building in Cambridge for overnight shelter
Mask requirements coming back at some hospitals/nursing homes. In Boston: Boston Medical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess, UMass Memorial Health, Mass General Brigham, Tufts – some are all masks, some are staff requirements, some may change day to day – check if going. Boston Children’s no mask changes, though staff must be vaccinated.
Apple watches no longer sold – old ones can’t be repaired – until a patent dispute is settled
IRS will now accept 80% repayment of the employee retention tax credit for companies who are struggling with repayment of pandemic loan
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PASSINGS
Robert L. Houghtaling, 69, leader in addiction programs in RI
Bonnie Simon, 65, founder of GET Magazine and advocate for the LGBTQ community in RI