Yesterday, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) made a shocking discovery in a checked baggage screening room. Inside two jars of peanut butter, the officer found parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun artfully concealed in plastic. The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets. When the checked bag triggered […]
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Ocean Effect snowstorm to impact parts of Cape Cod, Islands, and coastal RI Saturday afternoon into Sunday
A rare ocean effect snow storm is expected to dump several inches of snow over Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. The storm may also impact the southern Rhode Island coast with some light snow, where less than an inch is expected. Read the text of the National Weather Service […]
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Winter storm batters US power, snarling Christmas travel
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JILL BLEED Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A battering winter storm knocked out power to 1.7 million homes and businesses across the United States on Saturday, left millions more to worry about the prospect of further outages and crippled police, fire departments and an airport in snow-blown New York state. […]
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Strong winds and heavy rain hit Rhode Island, causing disruptions across the state
Rhode Island experienced strong winds and heavy rain on Friday, according to reports from the National Weather Service. In Bristol County, wind speeds reached as high as 45 mph in Bristol and 42 mph in Barrington. In Kent County, wind speeds reached 64 mph at RI TF Green AP. In Newport County, wind speeds were […]
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How to ensure your pet has a happy and healthy holiday season
The holidays are on their way, which means gatherings, mountains of food, and other joyful things you’ve been waiting for all year. It’s a temporary yet merry shift in the schedule that your pets will no doubt sense. The extra people in the house might unsettle them, and they may wonder why their family is […]
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50 of the best Christmas movies of all time
The holidays have arrived, and that makes now the time to revisit history’s most beloved Christmas movies. But what is a Christmas movie, exactly? So goes a question that continues to be hashed out on the internet, with titles such as “Die Hard” inspiring heated levels of debate. As if to fan the flames, the […]
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What Christmas was like the year you were born
On Christmas Day in 1914, British and German troops emerged from the trenches of World War I as weeks of bad weather cleared and called a truce. It was spontaneous and not approved by any higher-ups, but many soldiers on both sides ended up taking part. Soccer games were played between the British and German […]
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Massive winter storm brings rolling blackouts, power outages
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JILL BLEED Associated Press MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Tens of millions of Americans endured bone-chilling temperatures, blizzard conditions, power outages and canceled holiday gatherings Friday from a winter storm that forecasters said was nearly unprecedented in its scope, exposing about 60% of the U.S. population to some sort of winter weather advisory or […]
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Massachusetts woman charged with fatally poisoning boyfriend
NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts woman charged with fatally poisoning her boyfriend with a chemical commonly found in antifreeze and deicing fluid pleaded not guilty to murder and was held without bail at her arraignment Friday. Judy Church, 64, of Salisbury, is charged in the death of Leroy Fowler, according to the Essex district […]
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Road Report: Schedule of lane closures and road construction projects (Dec. 24 – 31)
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. RIDOT Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 Project RIDOT shared the following weekly update on the Pell Bridge Ramps Phase 2 project; […]
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RIDOT urges drivers to exercise caution due to icing conditions tonight and early Saturday
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is warning motorists to be cautious on the roads tonight and early Saturday due to the risk of icing conditions. Rapidly falling temperatures, combined with high winds, could lead to the formation of black ice on roads that do not dry out before the temperature drops. RIDOT says […]
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Gusty winds and heavy rain cause turbulence in Rhode Island
It has been a blustery and wet day in Rhode Island. The National Weather Service reported gusty winds and precipitation across the state. In Kent County, the strongest gusts recorded so far are at TF Green Airport, reaching 54 mph. In Newport County, Fogland saw the strongest gusts at 57 mph, while Beavertail and Rose […]
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Senator Reed secures over $450 million in transportation funds for Rhode Island
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, also known as an “omnibus” bill, includes $106 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation. U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has announced that he has helped steer over $450 million in transportation funds to Rhode Island, including $33.3 million in earmarks for roads, bridges, pedestrian, and transit […]
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Governor Mckee, Department of Environmental Management permanently protected 575 acres of land in 2022
Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) have announced that 575 acres of land in the state have been permanently protected thanks to $3.58m of voter-approved state bond funds. The funds, worth a total of $9.59m in 2022, will be used to protect the land through the State Land Conservation […]
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Senator Jack Reed co-authors National Defense Bill signed into law by President Biden
President Joe Biden has signed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 into law, authorizing a total of $857.9 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and national security programs of the Department of Energy. Co-authored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services […]
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Park construction manager pays $1.9M over minority hiring
BOSTON (AP) — The company that oversaw the construction of a minor league baseball park in Massachusetts has agreed to pay nearly $2 million to settle allegations that it failed to live up to its pledge of giving a certain portion of the work on the project to women- and minority-owned businesses, the state attorney […]
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20 of the most destructive winter storms of the 21st century
Catastrophic weather events can follow predictable meteorological models, but the difference between rain and snow can be razor-thin. When such events—especially winter storms—occur in remote areas, in states with traditionally warm temperatures, or spring up out of season, the results can be disastrous and expensive. States like Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, and the Dakotas are […]
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Travel restrictions on RITBA bridges lifted
Update: At 9:31 am, RIDOT lifted travel restrictions for the Mt Hope, Newport Pell, and Jamestown Verrazzano Bridges. The bridges are open to all traffic #RITBA ALERT: Travel restrictions have been lifted for the Mt Hope, Newport Pell, and Jamestown Verrazzano Bridges. The bridges are open to all traffic. #NPBridge #MHBridge #JVBridge— RITBA (@RIEZPASS) December […]
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Newport County’s best live webcams, beach cams, and surf cams
From around the world these webcams let you view Newport, Jamestown, Easton’s Beach and the Newport Harbor live from the comfort of your home, office or mobile device These webcams across Newport County will allow you to get a feel for the surf, the weather, the crowds, and more. Note, cameras do experience technical difficulties […]
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High Wind Warning issued for parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for parts of eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The warning will remain in effect until 7 AM EST on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, the area can expect south winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to […]
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Counties with the longest life expectancy in Rhode Island
Kenneth C. Zirkel // Wikimedia Commons Counties with the longest life expectancy in Rhode Island Life expectancy in the United States has generally been on the rise, with rare exceptions for certain segments of the population. Between 1960 and 2019, the life expectancy of Americans rose by roughly a decade to the age of 79. […]
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Key witness in case against ex-Providence Mayor Cianci dies
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Antonio Freitas, a key witness in the federal Plunder Dome case that exposed rampant corruption in Providence City Hall and sent Mayor Buddy Cianci and other city officials to prison, has died. Freitas died peacefully on Tuesday of natural causes surrounded by his family, one of his children, Kimberly Balkcom, confirmed […]
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International migration drove US population growth in 2022
By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press The U.S. population expanded by 1.2 million people this year, with growth largely driven by international migration, and the nation now has 333.2 million residents, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Net international migration — the number of people moving into the U.S. minus the number […]
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Man who had more than 200 guns at home to plead guilty
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island man found with an arsenal of more than 200 guns at his home along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and a flamethrower has agreed to plead guilty to some federal charges, according to court documents. At a date to be determined, Ronald Andruchuk, 38, will plead guilty to lying […]
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Rhode Island Energy warns of possible power outages Friday
Rhode Island Energy has issued an alert in advance of the winter storm expected to impact the state Thursday night into Friday. Read the text of the alert below. The forecast is calling for heavy rain, potentially damaging winds and the possibility of coastal flooding to impact Rhode Island early Friday morning, continuing into the […]