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In the News… quick recap for week ending April 12, 2025
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Potter League low-cost vet clinic in East Providence will close – sustainable funding stream. More affordable vet care: http://ripetcare.org
A 304-unit apartment complex coming to North Attleboro, on a closed airfield – though community has questions
West Valley soup and sauce opening in their banquet-type sit-down family facility in West Warwick
GE Vernova commits $50M to MIT
Billy Donovan admitted to the Basketball Hall of Fame
5 students at UMass have had their education visas withdrawn
Pawtucket says it has no money to properly take down the now de-capped Apex building – they will have to work with the new developers (that they don’t yet have)
Alternative Integrative Medicine (Aim Health,) a pain management clinic in Warwick, charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud.
New Bishop of Providence, Most Rev. Bruce Alan Lewandowski, appointed by Pope Francis
Sheryl Hack has joined PreserveRI as its next Executive Director, after serving as a Historic Preservation Specialist for FEMA
Naming rights of Tidewater Landing goes to
550 registered nurses at Lawrence General Hospital are set to hold an informational picket outside of the facility during what the Massachusetts Nurses Associationis calling “stalled” contract negotiations.
Centreville Bank Stadium – new naming of Tidewater Stadium
Brown U. says capitulating to the federal govt, on federal $$ freezes as Columbia has, is not the way to do it – that “rich” universities must see it as their mission to fight against the policy for others
Tania Fernandes Anderson, first Muslim councilor in Boston, pleads guilty on mis-reporting campaign funds, hiring a relative, etc., and will resign from office, where she made $115K, with no criminal charges yet announced
1 in 4 homes bought in RI by out-of-state buyers
Car dealership magnate Herb Chambers and several of his companies have agreed to pay $11.8 million to resolve allegations that they falsely certified their eligibility for pandemic aid under a U.S. Small Business Administration program
Fray Luis Rosario, owner of Federal Hill’s Terra Luna Cafe and Terra Negra Cantina killed in Dominican Republican club roof collapse
Brown U. announces mandatory discrimination and harassment training – and also says they believe legal routes are the only way to fight back against government funds withholding
4 Venezuelan gang members arrested for multiple robberies in Prov. Place Mall, and Garden City Center, as well as other locations in New England. 1 detained for ICE violation.
On Martha’s Vineyard, Edgartown voters updated ADU “by-laws” to allow more than one no a property by special permit and to prohibit use of ADUs as short-term rentals
On Martha’s Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and West Tisbury all passed a phased-in ban of gas-powered leaf blowers
CareSource has bought Commonwealth Care Alliance, in MA
Several Pawtucket firefighters put on administrative leave – no details released by Mayor Grebien described the situation as “horrible” and “alarming”.
The Museum of African American History with locations in Boston and Nantucket has lost federal funding
Hasbro announces it won’t make a decision about moving until summer
M. Night Shyamalan will film a “supernatural romantic thriller” starring Jake Gyllenhaal in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Film & Television Office announced.
Central Falls is seeking proposals for “mixed-use development—housing, commercial space, jobs, and more” for the Osram warehousing sites which are now cleared, cleaned, and ready for “transformative development”.
Newport’s King Park has a new playground
Homeless encampment explosion of a propane tank being used for heat kills one man in a well-known North Providence encampment
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island (Grey Sail) and Outer Light Brewing Company(Outer Light) jointly announced their first collaboration beer, Step Sisters
Nantucket’s commercial scalloping season ends more than 10,000 bushels, for the first time since the 2017-2018 season
The damaged wind turbine off the coast of Nantucket is having its other blades removed
Newport park & ride at end of bridge has building problems preventing buses from accessing it
NAACP removes Gerard Catala as President of the Providence branch – Nicole Tingle, current VP, will step up to serve. Catala is engaged in an appeal relative to campaign finance laws when he ran for office, etc. Catala will appeal the national NAACP decision.
Touro Synagogue will go through a transition as the Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a ruling allowing Congregation Shearith Israel in NY to evict Congregation Jeshuat Israel from Touro Synagogue in Newport. Congregation Shearith Israel plans a seamless transition with a new congregation, Congregation Ahavath Israel of Newport, set to occupy the synagogue.
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Any newly imposed tariff will not affect prices at In-N-Out since none of the company’s ingredients are imported, they say.
Both Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon feature large wave pools and will be open this year
Spirit Air’s CEO steps down after company comes out of bankruptcy
Numerous libraries in US are leaving the American Library Association over their advocacy for what some consider inappropriate book availability
Home design is now often including a “wellness room” or “rest corner” – a place for serenity for reading, practicing yoga, meditating, crafting, playing music, puzzling, or doing other self-care tasks.
Pope Francis made his first public appearance since leaving the hospital
Judge reverses Biden mandate to increase nursing home staff
LA’s District Attorney’s Office has been sued by two former top prosecutors who say they were demoted in retaliation for advocating to have Erik and Lyle Menendez released from prison
250th birthday of US Army planned for June, on President Trump’s birthday
Alien Enemies Act can be used as SCOTUS allows its use for now
South Sudanese passports/visas to be withdrawn for anyone in the country on them
NYC high residents heaving trash out their windows down to the angry, loud, pro-Palestinian demonstrators – also NYC’s Grand Central station shut down by protesters
Dominican Republic nightclub roof caves in during performance – over 118 dead
King Charles & Queen Camilla will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary
Melanie Kraus, interim head of IRS, resigns after refusing to provide ICE with immigrant’s information
2 teens from Dominican Republic identified as having stowed away in a plane’s wheel hub, back a year ago
A young English schoolgirl has claimed victory over the large grocery/home chain Sainsbury’s after she noticed all the girls’ school outfits included pants with no pockets.
The measles outbreak in Texas are centered on a day care center
Prince Harry in court trying to get his family’s personal security back
Judge tells administration that AP rights to press events must be restored – it is being appealed
Harriet Tubman page restored on Parks page
Real ID deadline in less than 30 days
Social Security will keep phone hotline after receiving feedback
Major retailers will close for Easter day – Lowe’s (6th year) – others: Aldi’s Best Buy, Costco, Marshall’s, Target and TJ Maxx.
TRUTH is now available in Mexico and Canada
CVS Health Corp. appointed Brian Newman to chief financial officer, coming from
Joint Declaration signed on Panama Canal – a framework for U.S. warships & auxiliary ships to sail first and free through the Panama Canal.
Stock market soars, biggest gains since 2008
Tariffs paused 90 days for negotiating countries – increased to 125% on China
President signs EO to restore full power showers and water
Campus protests are down, considerably, after deportations and college intolerance for the harassing disruption of many of them
Kash Patel, head of the FBI was also serving as interim director of the ATF. US army secretary Daniel Driscoll was named to the ATF role.
RFK Jr. says an intensive investigation into autism’s cause should have results by the fall
Google will offer steep discounts to U.S. federal agencies for its business apps package as the company looks to capitalize on the Trump administration’s cost-cutting push and compete with Microsoft’s longstanding grip on the government software market.
Recent study at the Cleveland Clinic reports that the influenza vaccine for 2024-25 associated with 27% higher risk of influenza among working-aged adults who received the vaccine.
LeBron James first professional male athlete to have his likeness depicted in a Ken doll
1,500 private jets at The Masters
Florida AG charges Ryan Routh for attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump
Mississippi and Kentucky working on eliminating personal income tax
Maryland man found dead in The Bahamas, on a beach
Walmart says they are doing all they can to keep prices low, given the tariff situation
France says it will recognize the state of Palestine soon
Universal will build a new theme park outside of London
Italy deported 40+ illegal migrants to Albania
The IRS estimates it will lose over $300 billion if illegal migrants stop filing taxes
Stamp costs expected to rise again
Eric Dane, actor from Grey’s Anatomy, has been diagnosed with ALS
Helicopter on a sightseeing tour in NYC crashed – all 6 people killed, including 3 children
Maryland tourist found dead in the Bahamas, supposedly from drowning
President Trump had his annual physical exam at Walter Reed – results to be disclosed Sunday
Prada to buy Versace for $1.4B
China limiting playing of US films
Michael Levy, CEO of PBS nationally has resigned
Israeli Army will fire air force reservists who condemned the war
The NAACP, in a recent mailing, says “the reality is that Kamala did not lose this election, voter suppression won.”
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Durab opened up about his mental health struggles, including a 2022 suicide attempt, in a Red Sox Netflix documentary series, which has led to a rise in the number of texts and calls the nonprofit mental health hotline Samaritans from people seeking help.
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PASSINGS
Clem Burke, 70, drummer for Blondie
Jay North, 73, “Dennis the Menace”, of cancer
John Peck, 82, local cartoonist, music and culture critic