In the news… on April 29, 2023

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Jonathan Nelson, Providence Equity Partners is the only billionaire in RI – value estimated $3.1 billion

Rhode Island receives $691K for coastal projects – out of a total of $562 million

10 million gallons of partially treated wastewater released into Mt. Hope Bay – bay is closed for at least a week for shellfishing

Dollar Tree Stores were fined $770,000 for failure to provide safe work conditions at two Rhode Island stores – Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations for exposing employees to serious risks and injuries.

Latino Policy Institute separates from Roger Williams University to become an independent national advocacy and information group

Lincoln Town Councilor Pamela Azar is running in the 1st Congressional District

Journey to Hope, Health, and Healing, Inc. and its then-CEO, Kenneth L. Richardson, Jr., are being investigated civilly and through the AGs office for Medicaid fraud and failure to properly treat their addiction patients

WPRI will replace Michelle Muscatello with T. J. DelSanto who has worked in PM weather for 26 years

Joe Kayata leaving NBC10 to go to addventures, PR and marketing firm in EP, as Director of Communications

A new organization in RI has been formed – SchoolSafetyNow.com – to promote armed security in schools

It’s estimated that 22,000 Rhode Islanders could lose Medicaid coverage

Gov. McKee appoints Kimberly Merolla-Britto to head DHS – and Elizabeth Dwyer to head DBR.

In MA, lawmakers are considering a pair of proposals designed to shave down the typical work week to as few as 32 hours. Surveys show 1 in 4 MA workers is considering leaving their jobs.

Pawtucket Falls Nursing Home administrator has had their license pulled

Boston is considering hiring a rat czar – similar to NYC

Pawtucket Fire Station 1, at 394 West Ave., will have major reconstruction to open again. Set to begin in a month. Station 1 closed in 2017 due to dangerously high levels of mold, posing an unsafe environment for firefighters.  

A new food court at the old Providence Train Station building will open in a month or so – at a cost of $19 million

The Newport Beer Festival will be held on Sat, April 29^th at Fort Adams

Jake Bissaillon, current chief of staff to Sen. President Ruggerio, confirmed he plans to run in special election for Sen. District 1, Maryellen Goodwin’s seat – Goodwin passed away 2 weeks ago

FiNBAck Brewery’s special beer event will be held in May in Pawtucket

Twin River will expand their non-smoking section

2 children and 2 adults stabbed in Providence in a domestic situation

Mayor Smiley’s budget includes a small tax increase for property owners and a reduction for commercial owners

Boston Globe reports that the Steamship Authority says it may have to reduce the number of ferries it runs to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket this summer because of a sudden shortage of deck officers. 

Pawtucket fire and police are highest paying among all departments

Hasbro suffered a $22M+ loss in its 1^st quarter

Providence Officer Lugo will return to work after LEABOR procedures said he could – he will undergo retraining first. Lugo had been charged with striking a woman during a state house melee on abortion – Friday there was a scheduled BLM protest held at the Providence police station.

The Bellevue Gardens Shopping Center in Newport sold to Procaccianti Co for $40M

The Northern RI Collaborative will dissolve and over 77 students will be placed elsewhere

Cranston St. Armory will remain open at least 2 more weeks

A 76 year old patient at a Warren nursing home is charged with 1st degree murder of an 81 year old patient.

Crossroads, at 371 Pine Street will open 35 permanent supportive apartments for medically vulnerable adults experiencing homelessness.

Wright’s Dairy Farm’s Wright Creamery will open a new location inside the Farm Fresh Rhode Island building at 10 Sims Ave in Providence

Bally’s Casino will add an additional 355 slot machines, 55 table games, and 27 Stadium-style games, along with new dining spaces and numerous features celebrating Asian culture

Charlesgate Nursing Home will be closing

The pair of black dog-wolf hybrids, Libby & Bella, who caroused around Warwick last week are headed to Ohio’s Red Riding Hood Rescue Project, for now.

Crystal Mall in Connecticut to be sold.

Cranston City Council member Lammis Vargas has taken a job with the City of Sommerville’s Mayor’s executive team, and plans to keep her position on the council.

To see where RI has spent APRA funds, go to: https://pandemicrecovery.ri.gov/

Pawtuxet/Edgewood developers have walked away from a project unwanted by neighbors

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Biogen gets approval for late-stage ALS drug development

Russia bombed its own city, leaving a 66 foot wide crater in the middle of town

NYT says there is evidence the security leak of Jack Teixeira went beyond the chat groups, and occurred as early as the beginning of the Ukraine war.

Lyft anticipating significant layoffs

President Biden creates Office of Environmental Justice

LA looking to take dramatic steps to hire police officers – offering incentives, asking retirees to return, etc.

Justice Alito, it was disclosed, issued a dissenting opinion to the ruling to allow the abortion pill to continue.

Special forces go into Sudan and evacuate the American assembly – all rescued

A US Army helicopter crashed in Alaska, leaving 3 US soldiers dead and 1 injured

Ya Ya, China’s Giant Panda, living in the US for 20 years, has been returned to China, in poor health, at the request of the Chinese government

Former VP Pence became the first vice president to testify against a president he served under at a grand jury

REI shutting stores in Portland, OR over theft and violence

CNN announces new show with Gayle King & Charles Barkley, trying to regain an audience

Bed & Bath files for bankruptcy

Russia threatening to stop grain shipments out of Ukraine

Bud Lite’s marketing person given a leave of absence. Says she will be replaced & they will restructure to have senior marketers in charge of brand promotion: “we never meant to be part of a promotion that divides people” – a lesson to brand managers.

CNN & Don Lemon part ways – after 17 years

Between 2009 and 2018, the number of teenagers reporting no sexual activity—and this includes single people and those in relationships—went from 28.8 percent to 44.2 percent among young men and from 49.5 percent to 74 percent of young women, according to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior.

Pope Francis has put 5 “sisters” on a panel with 5 priests to vote on religious management matters

Fox News & Tucker Carlson part ways – after 7 years

Susan Rice steps down as the president’s domestic policy advisor. She managed advice in Healthcare, immigration and racial equality

The NYT wrote a public appeal to the President to host press events – nearly 2,000 words and published it on Monday in their newspaper

Simon Biles & Jonathan Owens were married

Pres. Biden announced that Julie Rodriguez will run his campaign – she is the granddaughter of Cesar Chavez

3M laying off another 3,000 workers

Wells Fargo says more layoffs in manufacturing should be coming

The American Bar Association failed to comply with reasonable security standards to protect its members’ personal data in a breach that exposed the information of nearly 1.5 million people

A four-day workweek trial in England with 61 companies and 2,900 workers — the world’s largest yet — was a “resounding success”.

In the Sudanese conflict, one side has taken control of a research lab with infectious agents such as cholera, measles, polio, etc.

Pres. of So Korea is in the US to meet with officials – there were reports that US intelligence spied on their country, a friendly country, and that info came from the leak of top government military documents

Former New Zealand PM is now teaching at Harvard

First Republic Bank value fell by 50%

Elizabeth Holmes has managed to temporarily avoid prison after being granted a last-minute reprieve just a day before she was scheduled to start her 11-year sentence

Jenny Craig will close all facilities – they operate about 500 centers in the US

First quarter of this year showed a slowing in US economy – 1.1% growth instead of the 2-2.6% expansion anticipated

New Yorkers w/disabilities filed a federal lawsuit against NYC, claiming its Open Streets violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. They call it “Orwellian Newspeak” and argue it should more appropriately be called “Closed Streets” and want it eliminated.

James Corden has taped his last Late Late Show

Oregon has passed a law allowing those living in homeless encampments to sue for $1,000 if they are harassed or told to leave.

Fox News still has Tucker Carlson under contract until 2024 and is saying they won’t release him until after the election.

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PASSINGS

Harry Belafonte, 96

Len Goodman, 79, from Dancing with the Stars, of bone cancer

Barry Humphries, 89, known as Dame Edna a drag queen

Heather Walker, 52, Celtics’ vice president of public relations, two-year battle with brain cancer