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In The News… summary for January 6, 2023
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Michael Flynn will not be honored now by the Heritage Hall of Fame
RI Dept. of Health released list of top 10 names for boys and girls for 2023:
Female
1. Charlotte
2. Sophia
3. Olivia
4. Amelia
5. Emma
6. Nora
7. Luna
8. Isabella
9. Mia
10. Isla
Male
1. Noah
2. Liam
3. James
4. Theodore
5. Lucas
6. Michael
7. Julian
8. Benjamin
9. Henry
10. Luca
Slow zones on the MBTA have been reduced from 20 to 16%
Easton’s Beach Carousel and Snack Bar will be demolished in Newport after complex determined to be unsafe
Penalties for nursing homes failing to meet minimum staffing requirements are suspended indefinitely under an executive order issued by Gov. Dan McKee
17 arrested in RI for DUI over the New Year’s weekend
Boston restauranteur, Barbara Lynch, who faced charges of promoting a toxic work environment, will close Fort Point — Menton, Sportello, and Drink – and keep open No. 9 Park, B & G Oysters, and The Rudder.
Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice announced the sale of their building at 1184 East Main Road in Portsmouth. The home health and hospice agency, which has served our community for more than seven decades, is moving to 438 East Main Road at Forest Avenue, where a fellow non-profit, Looking Upwards, who bought VNH&H’s Portsmouth building in late December is located.
Island Cinema in Middletown has closed – it will become a Pickleball Club
RI Beach passes now on sale at beachparkingri.com
Johnston School Committee voted unanimously to approve a proposal by the Johnston Police Department to equip officers in schools with body-worn cameras.
Providence is surveying residents and business owners on quality of infrastructure, public safety, supports for Providence youth, and other key issues in Providence. You are encouraged to participate at providenceri.gov/survey.
New Bedford will build a statue to Herman Mellville
As of January 6th, all City of Pawtucket employee email addresses will change to a “.gov” format.
A Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration will take place on Monday, January 15th 2 pm at the Mixed Magic Theatre in Pawtucket. Program will include a student-led reading of MLK’s iconic Letter From Birmingham City Jail
Order a Pawtucket City Calendar with photos on each page, here: https://www.pawtucketri.com/city/2024-calendar
Independent Man is now being refurbished to be restored to his perch on top of the RI State House
Lifespan, Care New England, Thundermist, and several nursing homes and other healthcare groups are requiring masks as COVID rises, but cases are now mixed with flu and/or RSV.
TGIF’s restaurant has closed all MA locations, and all 36 other locations in US
Wind power has begun to serve New England from the wind turbine farms off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard
Sen. Melissa Murray to serve as Senate Deputy Majority Leader in RI Senate
IVF procedures will be delayed by more than a month at a Boston hospital due to a power outage that left the possibility of mold, so storage vats cannot be open for a month or more – frozen embryos, eggs should be good after that.
Fight at Mt. Pleasant HS basketball game – gun found – game completed with stands cleared. Game day after being played, but with no one in the stands.
Scathing report on maltreatment at St. Mary’s Home for Children in North Providence. Executive Director, who had worked there for 30 years, was terminated.
3 buildings with 70 rent restricted apartments will be developed in Woonsocket. In recent times, 30 apartment equivalencies have been lost in Woonsocket due to sub-par buildings being torn down
RI legislators are being asked by leadership to submit no more than 15 bills this session
Providence Restaurant Week begins Jan. 7th and runs through 20th at 70 Providence establishments – check RINewsToday for listing
Vanessa Lewis of New Life Blessings charged with being an unlicensed midwife – and involved in the death of a baby born on Christmas Day – New Life provided services in: Chepachet, Foster, Glendale, Greenville, Harrisville, Johnston, North Scituate, Pascoag, Providence, Smithfield, Wallum Lake, and Woonsocket
Nicholas Alahverdian extradited from Scotland to Utah to stand trial for rape
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Paula Abdul has sued Nigel Lythgoe, former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer, claiming he sexually assaulted her twice, over 7 years ago
2023 saw the lowest level of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation
45% of companies in US say they will eliminate a Bachelor’s Degree requirement in 2024
Japan had a 7.5 earthquake, with Tsunami warnings on New Year’s Day – extensive damage in the country, many evacuations and infrastructure damage
So. Korea opposition party leader stabbed at a group event
Buses from the border with migrants are now going to New Jersey, to avoid the new New York law about prior notification and drop-off locations.
California requires gender-neutral toy aisles
More than a dozen states are increasing their minimum wage.
Xerox will lay off 15% of its workforce
Alex & Ani closed its signature store at Disney Springs
Buy now, pay later proved popular nationwide over the holidays
Tour bus rolled over in upstate New York, going from Canada to NYC. Several killed.
Clorox has opened a massive production plant in West Virginia to produce – kitty litter – pandemic times resulted in a great influx of people owning cats
Federal govt has lowered to $5,000 (from $600) to 3rd party app earnings (Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
Jeffrey Epstein lists released in first batch which includes several famous names such as Bill Clinton, David Copperfield, Alan Dershowitz…
Powerful explosions happened in Iran killing 95 on 4th anniversary of Soleimani death
Senior Hamas leader killed in Beirut
The Maine GOP is moving to impeach the state’s Sect. of State who announced Donald Trump would not be on the ballot
TGIF’s restaurant has closed all MA locations and 36 around the US
Many hospitals and healthcare facilities are requiring masks as COVID rises, but cases are now mixed with flu and/or RSV.
7 US State Capitol buildings received bomb threats on the same day – all were erroneous
NYC sues Texas charter bus companies over migrant transportation to NY
Subway car derailment in NYC – passengers had to disembark in the tunnel
Microsoft is replacing a key on a keyboard – MENU – with a key, COPILOT – which will open a Chatbot to answer questions and perform some tasks.
Oscar Pistorius released from prison, on parole, after 8 years for killing his girlfriend
Starbucks and Amazon are covering expensive IVF services, with as little as 20 hours per week. Employees get coverage after as little as 3 months employment. IVF can be as expensive as $50K or more.
The Gardner Museum is offering $10 million for information leading to the return of 13 artworks stolen in 1990 worth an estimated $500 million.
SWAG bags for Golden Globes are made from $500,000 in items
Over 2,000 people have died jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge – suicide prevention nets have now been installed
The Supreme Court WILL decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the 2024 presidential ballot.
NRA Chief Wayne Lapierre resigns after 30 years, days before a corruption trial
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hospitalized since New Year’s due to complications from a procedure – he is expected to return to work duties by tonight.
SCOTUS agrees to take the case of Donald Trump appearing on the ballot, with the Colorado decision
Alaska Airlines window blows out midflight, lands safely
Missouri Sect. of State says he will remove Pres. Biden from the ballot
Israel forms NILI – “The eternal one of Israel shall not die” – to hunt down those who participated in the attack on Oct. 7th in Israel and to find the top leaders of Hamas. This is the same group that was formed after the attack on the Olympic team village years ago.
Michael Bolton reveals he had brain surgery before Christmas, for a brain tumor
Ashli Babbitt’s husband files wrongful death suit against US govt – she was shot and killed by Congressional security in the Jan. 6th event
$8.5M AIRBNB scam where two men indicted for efforts to rent to highest bidders, cancel others, in sub-par properties. This goes back to 2018.
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PASSINGS
Vincent Ciunci, 95, founder of Camp Sunrise in Rhode Island
Shecky Green, 92, comedien
Glynis Johns, 100, British actress
Les McCann, 88, jazz performer
Christian Oliver, 51, and 2 daughters (10, 12), in a plane accident, actor
Devon Quigley, 39, in Oct. 2023, 12 years after a car accident. Quigley was the son of pro golfer Dana Quigley, and lived in RI with family who were his caretakers.
David Soul, 80, actor
Cale Yarborough, 84, NASCAR star
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