In the News… recap for the week, Aug. 17, 2024

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

A plan to build a crematorium in Tiverton appears  to be over

2 cables are being laid in lower Narragansett Bay as part of the Revolution Wind project

Brockton Hospital reopens

PBN has named 2024 Top Healthiest Employers – Groov-Pin, Centreville Bank, Neighborhood Health, AAA, and CVS

16-bed residential facility breaking ground this week at 160 Main St. in Exeter

Lancelotta’s Restaurant in NP is for sale.

Two Little Fish, Westerly, to close – as building will be sold

Dredging of Narrow River needs to be done – estimated cost as much as $7Million

Emerald Square Mall may reinvent itself as housing or for another purpose

Lifespan is on track to purchase Morton, St. Anne’s hospitals from Steward in MA, as Steward Hospitals is trying to sell all 5 hospitals.  Boston Medical Center and Lawrence General Hospital may purchase remainder.

Dolce Vita Restaurant, north end, Boston, has closed after 35 years

New Bedford Light has named Nancy Bordeleau as Executive Editor – formerly editor of the ProJo

Parking lot at Scarborough South State Beach in Narragansett will close on Monday, August 19 during weekdays, and will be open for parking on weekends only for the remainder of the summer beach season.

Governor’s office will work with all the Chambers of Commerce in RI to survey members on what they are doing to skill up their employees – apprenticeships, on the job training, tuition reimbursement, etc.   

Lumber Liquidators files for Ch. 11, nationally – their 1 store in RI will remain open

Zillow estimates average home price will hit $500K by 2025

In MA, Traveling acts, like circuses, carnivals and fairs, will be prohibited from using certain Animals, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, giraffes, and primates, for Entertainment – Exceptions include Animals that live at a zoo and the use of Animals in filming movies. Non-exotic Animals like horses, chickens, pigs, and rabbits can continue to be exhibited. (What’sUpNewp)

Omni Providence Hotel workers vote to authorize to strike

Wes’ Rib House said to be selling

Tomaselli’s in Cranston closed – Silver Lake location still open

Rhode Island Republican Party now has Aiden Carey as its new Executive Director

Johnston will install security cameras at its memorial park after a report of a harassing incident of a child at the playground – no arrests made

Emerson University is laying off 10 staff members and suspending two programs due to declining enrollment, joining two other private, Massachusetts institutions — Brandeis University and Hampshire College. Emerson says factors hurting enrollment include: student protests at recruiting events; press coverage of protests and arrests; and problems in the federal government’s financial aid form system

Sen. Tiara Mack in Providence announced that the RI Women’s Health and Education Fund will be repurposed as the RI Abortion Fund

MA bans PFAS in firefighters’ equipment – by 2027

750-unit self-storage facility opens in Bristol by DXD Capital

Fundraiser for Tim Walz held at Salve Regina University, a Catholic University. Walz spoke for 17 minutes and stayed just about 1 hour, raising over $600K before leaving for a Long Island fundraiser – criticism for Salve for holding a pro-abortion candidate’s fundraiser, including from the Diocese of Providence.

Veterans eat free every first Friday, Badger’s Pub, Pawtucket

Revolution Wind has delayed the startup of their 65-turbine wind farm from 2025 to 2026

Rabid bobcat killed in Glocester after attacking a family’s dog – family and dog being treated – warnings for people in that area of RI, due to the rabies diagnosis

8 ferries were canceled to Martha’s Vineyard in the past week due to lack of captains and staff – prompting a renewed recruitment effort – called a “disaster weekend” for Vineyard businesses and hotels

St. James Church in Woonsocket opens after renovations, funded by a grant from the Champlin Foundation

In MA, ordering cocktails for takeout has been signed permanently into law.Restaurants are no longer allowed to sell wine and beer for off premise consumption.

Pawtucket’s Football Club will look for a company to provide funding to become a “Naming Right” sponsor of the new soccer stadium

Car warranty refunds average fifty to eighty dollars will be on the way to consumers as RI AG is successful in a settlement arrangement with RI’s Flood Ford (2), Flood Mazda, Valenti Subaru, Valenti Toyota, Saccucci Honda of more than $1 million.

31 states have a cucumber recall after salmonella outbreak

RI announces $5 million for instructional coaching in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) for more than 20 RI schools and districts.

• Blackstone Academy Charter School
• Bristol-Warren Regional School District
• Burrillville Public Schools
• Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy
• Central Falls School District
• The Compass School
• Cranston Public Schools
• Cumberland School Department
• East Providence School Department
• Excel Academy
• Johnston Public Schools
• Middletown Public Schools
• Newport Public Schools
• North Kingstown School Department
• Paul Cuffee School
• Pawtucket School Department
• Providence Public Schools
• RISE Prep Mayoral Academy
• Scituate School Department
• Segue Institute for Learning
• Smithfield Public Schools
• Warwick Public Schools
• West Warwick Public Schools
• Westerly Public Schools

State of RI files suit against 13 companies, including some now working, on the Washington Bridge, by AG Neronha

Lifespan moves forward with purchase of Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton, MA. – MA moves forward with taking remaining Steward Hospitals by eminent domain to keep them open for the public, and eventually to find new owners for them.

A report by SchoolWorks of the state of the Providence school system was released, with some, but minimal, improvement – see full report, here: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RpDVkvjv_4y1mGTMng-WT7liuF3yZjU3/view?et_rid=961271383&s_campaign=rhodemap:newsletter)

ESPN has fired Football analyst Robert Griffin III and host Samantha Ponder – considered to be restructuring in cost saving attempt

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

King Charles calls for unity in UK after extensive rioting

Gwen Stefani canceled performance “Hello World”, in Paris, a post celebration of the Olympics, saying she had an injury that would prevent her from performing

Rod Stewart canceled concerts – has COVID

Axios layoffs of 50 people, or about 10% of its staff

Trump campaign says documents were hacked by Iranian connected people

The federal EEOOC mandates all employees take one day off in August – set for Aug. 30^th – to balance budget of their department

Resume Templates found 1 in 4 hiring managers consider young Gen Zers unemployable.

Conns’ Home Plus will close all 15 stores in US (none in New England)

Zelenskyy confirms Ukraine has gone into Russia to fight

Joe Rogan said he supported Robert Kennedy Jr. for President, arguing that he’s the only candidate not gaslighting, manipulating, and promoting narratives.

Cisco will cut thousands of jobs in a second round of layoffs in 2023 as it shifts its focus to cybersecurity and AI amid sluggish demand for networking equipment.

Secret Service commandeered a private, closed hair salon for staff to be able to use the bathroom and other people in Kamala Harris party to do their hair, over a 2 hour period. They taped over the cameras and picked the lock to get in – leaving the salon open when they left, with no contact with the owners.

Starbucks firing their CEO and hiring Chipotle’s CEO

Africa declares mpox a national health emergency

Early this week, Ukraine announced they have control of 74 Russian towns and villages. Ukraine has a new offensive to go into Russia

Stolen Jackie Robinson statue replaced with new exact replica in Wichita

Ilhan Omar wins primary in Wisconsin

Tim Walz and JD Vance, will debate on CBS on October 1

Prices for 10 of Medicare’s most popular and costliest drugs said to be cut, according to White House, but no details

Multiple arrests, including a doctor, in Matthew Perry overdose death

Columbia Univ. President resigns

Subway holding emergency meeting with franchise owners due to plummeting profits

Tim Walz does not own anything in his own name, no homes, real estate, businesses or investments, savings, etc. He sold his home when he moved into the Governor’s mansion – report done does not look at his wife or family holdings

Melbourne, Australia another city to ban e-scooters

American woman with dual Russia-US citizenship, who had been a ballerina, sentenced in Russia to 12 years for high treason, donating to Ukraine

Democratic National Convention begins Monday

Another student loan payment cut announced by President – not expected to pass in Congress

COVID boosters back for fall

Mpox found in wastewater in San Francisco – vaccines recommended for various groups, with the priority being men who have sex with men

Ukraine is now in Russia, fighting the war on Russian soil, very unexpected move and one forbidden by the US, yet the US has just provided millions in new funding. Putin is said to be embarrassed and furious at this action.

Gaza ceasefire talks end until next week

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PASSINGS

Wally Amos, 88, founder of Famous Amos Cookies

Bill Doyle, 93, longtime PC soccer coach, credited by PC with growing their track program with connections in Ireland

Greg Kihn, 75, known for ‘The Breakup Song’ and ‘Jeopardy,’ dies of Alzheimer’s

Peter Marshall, 98, Hollywood Squares fame

Gena Rowlands, 94, actress

Jack Russell, 63, musician, Great White, band from The Station Fire