This Thanksgiving – we are grateful for YOU!

Who are we thankful for? We are thankful for YOU, our readers. We’ve increased our readership this past year, and you’ve let us know what you want to read more about – and we’ve tried to meet your expectations.

Last year we a daily column called “Your Coronavirus Update…” – and in 2021 that column has reduced to a weekly update or sometimes every other week – and that is a good thing – and for that we are grateful.

In 2019 and the firsts half of 2020 we had a holiday column called, “Get your holiday(s) on…” – we featured holiday events that everyone could attend to enjoy the fall holiday season. But with the pandemic, came serious health concerns and we pulled back on listing events. This year, this week, we began “Get your holiday(s) on…” once again – so look for it on a weekly (or more) basis as Rhode Island gets back to in-person events.

Chambers of Commerce – we began a series in 2020 featuring the local chambers of commerce – each one of which has its own unique flavor. We noted the disappearance of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce, and then the pandemic raised its ugly head once again. Our chambers pivoted to ZOOM and online attempts to keep small businesses together. Two weeks ago we watched the Chambers open up for business – and now they are all having their holiday parties and get togethers. We’ll begin our feature and finish up with our Chambers once again.

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In addition to the occasional writers who submit articles to us, we have a core group of writers who keep us going with relevant, interesting and challenging news, event information, and commentary.

In 2021 we added:

Ron St. Pierre & Jen Brien – who provide weekly commentary from their podcast and their armchairs

Herb Weiss – a published author who covers aging issues local and national

John A. Cianci – bringing you a weekly Veterans column with important news, events, reunions, and benefits

Look for new additions in 2022!

We thank our writers – who meet our deadlines and take our guidance – with such grace and camaraderie…

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We welcome your opinions and respectful comments. You can leave them at the bottom of each story – they are moderated, so it might take a few hours for them to be “approved”. But we welcome the feedback – or shoot us an email or direct message.

We enjoyed quite a few advertisers coming on board, and this year we hope to see more! If you are interested in advertising, do get in touch with us. Each campaign is unique and tailored to your needs.

Due to advertisers’ support, we hope to always keep RINewsToday free of charge to our readers. We received a small business grant to help us grow our staff, and for that we are grateful. Our goal is to serve our Rhode Island community – we pledge to do even more of that.

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Constant Contact morning email: send us your email. We’ll keep it private and never share it: https://rinewstoday.com/contact/

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So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is back in a big way – a “not to miss” while you’re scurrying around. There are some new balloons and a strange NFT release starting at 10am.

Football starts early and goes late into the day – perfect for couch sleepers after the big meal. And those high school and local games! Over 30 of them…

The Weather is going to be good – with a high of 53 – so take that post-turkey walk around the block – and bring the little ones with you!

LaSalette’s Festival of Lights opens at 5pm – perfect night for a drive (look for more on this spectacle later in the week)

81% of us say we will do something “in excess” this Thanksgiving.

26 people were arrested for possible DUI last night in Rhode Island – enforcement is tight this year – do not drink and drive.

There’s a rise in flu among young people in the US – could be college students traveling, etc. Be aware of this with guests at your dinner table. Masks can help prevent spread of the common cold, and flu, as well as COVID.

Enjoy the leftover recipe in today’s issues for those Turkey Leftovers, and here is a little bit of trivia you may want to ask each other over dinner.

What’s the most searched Thanksgiving casserole on Google – in Rhode Island? (Sweet potatoes) – In Massachusetts? (broccoli) – in Connecticut? (breakfast) – The oddest one? – North Carolina for pineapple!

What’s the most ordered items on Thanksgiving from Doordash? Interesting! Peach Mango Pie, Dinner Rolls and Sirloin Steak.

Some fun facts to chat about while you diligently try to avoid politics at your table: