In the news… quick look at the week ending May 11, 2024

Quick suMMAry of the week’s news…

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

The Columbus Theater in Providence to close

American Shared Hospital Services of California has purchased 3 radiation oncology practices in RI, including Decof Center at Roger Williams Hospital, run by Genesis.

Steward Hospital system files for bankruptcy

Mayor Smiley announced 2 new members of his staff, Ted Carr, new Director of Economic Development and Erik Scalavino, new Director of Communications, and Wedley Thelemaque as First Source Director

RISD students went into a RISD building downtown and won’t leave – following small demonstration

Lilly Pulitzer opening in Garden City Center this weekend

Providence will launch a new home repair program designed to help income-eligible homeowners who have incurred multiple housing code violations make essential repairs to their homes at no cost.

Viola Davis will receive an honorary doctorate at URI during its May 18^th graduation

Steamship Authority will have two new vessels – nearing the completion of the retrofitting process at an Alabama shipyard – they will replace the M/V Gay Head and the M/V Katama

Jet Blue to soon fly direct to San Jose, Puerto Rico

Sumner Tunnel will close for a month by July 5^th

Tides to take over St. Mary’s Home for Children

RIPTA former CEO, Scott Avedisian, sentenced to 60 days probation, to be expunged afterwards if no further infractions take place.

Cranston passes regulation to bring city employees minimum wage up to $15/hr – in 2026 budget that will cost about $20K to implement

TF Green Airport is issuing an RFP for toilet seat cover dispensers – over $200K

Walt Buteau, of WPRI has left and is now with Residential Properties

RIPTA will conduct an interactive input session on Mon, May 13^th from 4 to 7pm at the AMP in Providence on transportation and RIPTA plans.

RISD students are out of their building occupation, after being threatened with expulsion

Providence Atheneum was evacuated when a package was suspected to be a bomb

Superior/Supreme Courts were evacuated when an abandoned suitcase was suspected to be a bomb, and exploded – it was filled with clothing

John Howell sells Cranston Herald, Warwick Beacon, Johnston Sunrise to Joy Fox. Howell will continue being involved in the Warwick Beacon.

All 3 macaws returned to Roger Williams Park Zoo, after a day’s escape into Cranston

LEOBOR changes were passed in the RI legislature as it moves toward signage

2 Presidential scholars from Rhode Island – Ryan Steven Lukowicz, North Kingstown Senior High School, North Kingstown and Margaret Catherine Lauder, Portsmouth High School

Money from cruise ships coming into Newport will increase – funds will support debt service for planned area upgrades – seawall, harbormaster building, inc.  

Babies R Us will reopen – in Kohls – in RI

RI ranked 26^th in Best States in US by US News & World Report

Attleboro Mayor Cathleen DeSimone wants to hold a laser light show on Sept. 1 instead of fireworks on the 4th of July.

The Station Fire Memorial needs maintenance after 7 years on brickwork, landscaping, etc. – stained and deteriorating walkways leaching from stone facades and masonwork. “It’s falling apart”. Most of the poor work is being named Yardworks – he says they will go back and repair and work on the memorial.

Gov. McKee names Dr. Jerome M. Larkin, of Lifespan, as the new head of the RI Dept. of Health.

ProJo reporter, Amy Russo, leaving the ProJo, getting out of journalism

Barrington HS and other local schools were closed early on Friday – one young man with a knife called police and he was apprehended in an athletic field

2 encampments in Prov. were extended time to leave from Sunday to Tuesday so advocates can work with them to find housing

32 whistleblowers from Boeing have come forward about construction problems

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial honored James Varin & Robert Gardner James from RI in a group of 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023.

This week is National Quahog Week in RI

Gaspee Day Parade is set for June 8th

(From the Boston Globe): Providence’s Newcomer Academy, a new high school that opened last year for recent immigrants over the age of 17 with interrupted Education, is being investigated by the USDOJ for failing to adequately teach the students English.

Bill Belichick has purchased a second home on Nantucket, where he has long lived

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Mystic Dan won over Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a photo finish, by a nose, closest race in nearly 30 years.  

Madonna performed at a free massive concert at a Brazil beach – 1.6 M attended

McDonald’s to test larger burger

Barron Trump, 18, has declined to serve as an at-large delegate at the Republican National Convention, after being elected, saying he has a schedule coNFLict

ABC News President is leaving – said to have polarizing leadership

VA will cut 10K jobs nationwide

Miss USA stepping down to “focus on her mental health”

Miss Teen USA steps down because the pageant no longer matches her values. She won 6 mos ago.

Columbia Univ. canceled its graduation

13 conservative judges say they will forgo hiring from Columbia Univ.

The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of Pres. Trump has canceled the May 20^th date for trial, with no new date given.

Panera ends their lemonade with very high caffeine, responsible for 2 cardiac deaths

CVS Health acquires Hella+Health, a New York-based Medicare Advantage broker

Individually wrapped cheese would be largely banned under a far-reaching NY Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act requiring companies with net incomes over $1 million who sell or distribute food or products to reduce plastics and other packaging that ends in landfills or waterways by 50% over the next 12 years.

AstraZeneca is withdrawing its coronavirus vaccine, due to low demand

Israel shuts down Al Jazeera media site in country

Burger King turns 70 next week and plans multiple 70 cent promotions

Swiss Army will be producing new pocket tools – without blades.

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have sued the US govt over the law requiring them to divest

New COVID variant, FLiRT is now active in US

The testimony of 500 people employed at the FDIC documents widespread sexual misconduct and harassment

Tik Tok sues the US, saying they cannot sell the company by June 19^th and that it is against the 1^st amendment to do what the rules are telling them to do – it is expected to take years to settle the future of Tik Tok

NYTimes added over 200K subscribers last quarter

Prince Harry came to London for the Invictus Game event but did not see his father, King Charles

Certain chemicals, including formaldehyde will be banned in straighteners due to cancer risk.

Press. Biden says he will not ship certain weapons to Israel if they go into southern Gaza – facing serious backlash to that decision. Israel says it will fight alone if it has to

Justin Bieber and his wife are expecting their first child

Babies R Us reborn inside Kohls stores

Beach Boys Brian Wilson to be placed in conservatorship

Chinese Zoo dyed dogs to look like pandas

Michigan woman found living on a roof in a large grocery story sign hollow area – complete with a computer, keurig, etc. She was offered housing, but said she didn’t want it.

Pres. Trump says he will debate Pres. Biden any time, any where – Pres. Biden’s response was “set it up”

Top 10 girls’ and boys’ names of 2023 released by SSA: (in order) – Girls: Olivia, EMMA, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn, Luna. Boys: Liam, Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, William

MIT protests end on campus when police and clean up crew moved in. Protesters moved to demonstrating in front of the MIT President’s home.

All MA protests on campuses have ended – except for Harvard University

Pope Francis urged Italian families to have more children for the good of society

UVM was pressured by protesting students to cancel commencement speaker, the US ambassador to the UN – protests ended there – as well as at two other Vermont schools

Target says it will “limit availability” of Pride items, noting last year’s problems from conservative shoppers

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PASSINGS

Susan Buckner, 72, actress famous for “Grease”

Bernard Hill, 79, actor from Titanic

Moorhead Kennedy, 93, freed Iranian hostage

Mary Lee Partington, champion of the humanities in RI