BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont homeless shelter where police say a resident killed the coordinator using an ax and a knife last week will be closed for the rest of the month as staff take three weeks off to grieve the loss of their co-worker, an official said. Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 38, pleaded not guilty […]
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McKee Administration announces launch of program that will award $3 million to support minority business enterprises in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation announced today the launch of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Rhode Island Minority Business Accelerator Program’s Intermediary-Based Initiative that will provide approximately $3M in awards to intermediaries to administer programs to support the growth of minority business enterprises (MBEs). “Rhode Island continues to prioritize racial and ethnic diversity […]
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STDs are on the rise. This morning-after-style pill may help
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials released data Tuesday showing how chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases have been accelerating, but doctors are hoping an old drug will help fight the sexually transmitted infections. Experts believe STDs have been rising because of declining condom use, inadequate sex education and reduced testing […]
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Senator DiPalma to deliver the keynote address at CCRI’s 2nd Annual Cybersecurity Night
The Community College of Rhode Island is hosting its second annual Cybersecurity Night on Tuesday, April 18 at its Warwick campus featuring a keynote address from Rhode Island State Senator and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Louis DiPalma. Senator Lou DiPalma Hosted by the college’s Computer Studies and Information Processing department, Cybersecurity Night is […]
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Attorney General Neronha joins multistate coalition to fight back against decision to block medication abortion access
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today joined a multistate coalition to challenge the decision issued by a district court judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that could restrict medication abortion access nationwide. The amicus brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, urges the court […]
Posted inHealth & Fitness, News
Moderna says potential flu vaccine needs more study
Moderna shares slipped Tuesday morning after the COVID-19 vaccine developer said its potential flu vaccine needs more study in a late-stage clinical trial. The company said an independent data and safety monitory board found that the potential vaccine “did not meet the statistical threshold necessary to declare early success” in the study. The board recommended […]
Posted inBusiness, News
Discover Newport adds three new board members
Discover Newport today announced that it has welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors. Keri Cronin, representing Warren, Peter Connerton, representing Middletown, and Patrick Fitzgerald, representing the restaurant industry in Newport, has been appointed to serve three-year terms. “The new board members are committed to advancing our mission to promote and encourage tourism […]
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The US surpasses 140 mass shootings in 2023. Here’s every event mapped
Since the start of 2023, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks gun violence using police reports, government sources, news coverage, and other public data. No official, universal definition of what constitutes a mass shooting currently exists. Groups define […]
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Noah Kahan added to the 2023 Newport Folk Festival lineup
Newport Folk Festival continued their rolling lineup announcements today with the news that Noah Kahan will perform at their 2023 festival on Friday, July 28, 2023. “As Noah Kahan changes, he casts those experiences onto songs like light through a film projector. At the core of the music’s upbeat energy and unfiltered lyrics, you’ll hear […]
Posted inCity & Government
Sen. Ujifusa introduces bill to audit Medicaid middlemen
Taxpayers pay almost $2 billion each year to three private health insurance companies, also known as Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), to administer benefits for about 90% of Rhode Island Medicaid enrollees. Sen. Linda Ujifusa, a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, has proposed legislation to audit these companies to ensure those taxpayer dollars […]
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Secretary of State Amore and Rhode Island State Archives open new exhibit
“From Fields to Festivals: Parks and Recreation in Rhode Island” Celebrates State’s Outdoor Spaces
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the Rhode Island State Archives today announced the opening of a new Archives exhibit, “From Fields to Festivals: Parks and Recreation in Rhode Island.”
The exhibit highlights the physical spaces that have shaped Rhode Island’s history, including State parks and beaches, municipal parks, outdoor public spaces, and recreation hubs now and throughout history, such as Rocky Point Amusement Park and Crescent Park. The exhibit features historic artifacts, photos, and documents that tell the story of parks and recreation in Rhode Island.
“The State Archives is home to so many important pieces of our state’s history, including documents and artifacts that teach us more about how people lived and spent their time in years past,” said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. “As the weather becomes warmer and we make our plans for spring and summer, I encourage visitors to draw inspiration from these documents and artifacts and visit the places people have explored outdoors throughout Rhode Island’s history.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public during State Archives business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments are not required.
The State Archives is home to more than 10 million letters, photographs, and important state documents that form a permanent, tangible record of Rhode Island’s rich history. Visitors to the Archives can access vital records, census data, historical manuscripts and documents, and more. Many artifacts and documents have also been digitized and are available in the State Archives online catalog at https://catalog.sos.ri.gov/ and Digital Archives. To learn more about the State Archives, visit https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/state-archives.
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Posted inReal Estate
The 2023 housing market in 5 charts
The once white-hot housing market may finally be starting to cool, but it’s not a buyers’ market just yet. As mortgage rates and home prices remain high, potential homebuyers are deciding not to take the plunge, mostly due to a lack of affordability. But with the U.S. short about 6.5 million homes, according to one […]
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Rite-Solutions receives Next-Generation Attack Submarine Navy Contract
Middletown-based Rite-Solutions today announced that it has been awarded a new contract by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) with a potential value of $850,000 over the next two years. The company will support the development, configuration, and delivery of a user-friendly interface software called the SSN(X) Sail Model Tool. The tool will […]
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Fire damages Massachusetts church after Easter services
A fire broke out at a Massachusetts church not long after Easter services, with more than 100 firefighters working to save the 114-year-old structure. The fire started at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge. Firefighters from 18 engine companies and eight ladder companies responded, Acting Fire Chief Tom Cahill said. Part […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
Governor McKee, RIDOT, Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, Municipal Leaders highlight proposed #RIReady municipal road fund program
Governor Dan McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr., North Providence Mayor and Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns President Charles Lombardi, Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns Executive Director Ernie Almonte, and municipal leaders gathered today at the North Providence Department of Public Works to highlight […]
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Small towns reclaim abandoned ski areas as nonprofits
By BRITTANY PETERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS LA VETA, Colorado (AP) — It’s been the longest wait, their whole lives, in fact. But Race Lessar and Landen Ozzello are finally right where they want to be, on a snowy slope close to home, molding snow into a ski jump. Their local ski mountain just reopened. “I’m happy […]
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From goddesses and rabbits to theology and ‘Superstar’: 4 essential reads on Easter’s surprisingly complicated history
Molly Jackson, The Conversation What’s Easter about? In some ways, the answer is pretty simple: Jesus Christ, and Christians’ belief that he rose from the dead. In other ways, though, the springtime holiday is far from straightforward. How did rabbits get involved? Where did the name “Easter” come from – and why is the English […]
Posted inCity & Government
RIDOT to open new dedicated on-ramp to Pell Bridge from downtown Newport
On Thursday night, April 13, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will open a new dedicated on-ramp from JT Connell Highway northbound onto Route 138 West toward the Pell Bridge. The change will reduce congestion and make it easier for drivers coming from Downtown Newport to merge onto Route 138.
With the opening of the new ramp, RIDOT will remove the traffic signal for the right turn onto Route 138 West, which had been in place temporarily through the winter. Traffic will have its own lane onto Route 138 West toward the bridge and will not have to stop or yield. The change also will allow two lanes westbound from the JT Connell Connector Road onto the Pell Bridge.
The opening of the new ramp is the latest in a series of traffic pattern changes RIDOT is implementing this year, with the goal of making improvements prior to the busy summer tourism season. They include:
By late April, RIDOT will conduct a weekend closure of Admiral Kalbfus Road at the former Route 138 overpass for its demolition.
By Memorial Day, RIDOT will realign the intersection of Farewell Street and America’s Cup Avenue to eliminate the sharp curve at the start of America’s Cup Avenue which will improve safety and traffic circulation. In addition, the Department plans to activate a new traffic signal with pedestrian crossing features at the intersection.
RIDOT will announce the exact dates of the bridge demolition and Farewell Street improvements well in advance.
The $74 million Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 project is rebuilding the road network connecting to the Pell Bridge to make travel into Newport easy and safe. It includes a new efficient ramp system that will reduce congestion, especially the backup of vehicles on the bridge from the Downtown Newport exit, and improve the connection between Newport’s North End and the downtown area. With a smaller footprint, the new design also will spur economic development as it frees up approximately 25 acres of land. It will be finished by the end of 2024.
Additional information about the project and the latest traffic pattern changes will be posted at www.ridot.net/PellBridgeRamps. The web page also has a form anyone can use to sign-up to receive regular project updates emailed directly to them.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 Project is made possible by RhodeWorks, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
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Road Report: Schedule of lane closures and road construction projects (April 8 – 15)
The following road and lane closure notices have been scheduled by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA). All schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change. Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority April 9 – 15, 2023 Newport Claiborne Pell BridgeWestbound Alternating Lane Closures- 4/10 to 4/12- […]
Posted inCity & Government, News
This Week at the General Assembly: Bills advance on renewable energy, employee protections, and more
The Rhode Island General Assembly had a busy week, with several important bills passing through both the House and Senate. Here are some highlights of what happened: The Senate passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Alana DiMario to establish a new state program called Renewable Ready that would help offset the costs to prepare certain […]
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Newport Fire Department is hiring; here’s how to apply
The City of Newport today announced that it is once again looking for new recruits to join the ranks of Newport’s Fire Department. Applications, which are being accepted from April 10, 2023, until Friday, May 19, 2023, can be submitted online through FirefighterApp.com. This is the second time in the last two years that Newport […]
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States consider banning cosmetics containing PFAS
By LISA RATHKE Associated Press A growing number of state legislatures are considering bans on cosmetics and other consumer products that contain a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS. In Vermont, the state Senate gave final approval this week to legislation that would prohibit manufacturers and suppliers from selling or distributing any […]
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Police captain seen slamming man’s head gets probation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island police captain who was seen on video slamming a handcuffed man’s head into the pavement during an arrest has been sentenced to a year of probation. Providence police Capt. Stephen Gencarella was sentenced Thursday after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault in connection with […]
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Governor McKee, Congressman Langevin, President Warner announce proposal for Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College
Governor Dan McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Congressman James Langevin, Rhode Island College (RIC) President Jack Warner, and state and local leaders today announced a proposal to create the new Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies at RIC. The Governor will formally submit this proposal to the General Assembly as an amendment to his FY […]
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Save the date: One year until total solar eclipse sweeps US
By MADDIE BURAKOFF AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Dust off your eclipse glasses: It’s only a year until a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America. On April 8, 2024, the moon will cast its shadow across a stretch of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, plunging millions of people into midday darkness. It’s […]