Latest Rhode Island News

Malfunctioning steam room sets off alarm, prompts evacuation at Rhode Island YMCA

Jun. 15, 2024 12:51 PM EDT

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (AP) — A malfunctioning steam room at a YMCA in Rhode Island pumped out so much steam that it triggered an a sprinkler system alarm on Saturday morning, prompting an evacuation. In a statement, the Middletown Police Department said officials rushed to the Newport...

Rhode Island lawmakers approve $13.9 billion budget plan, slew of other bills

Jun. 14, 2024 15:34 PM EDT

Rhode Island lawmakers gave final approval to a proposed $13.9 billion state budget plan early Friday that includes additional funding for education and a $120 million bond to expand affordable housing. The budget was among a slew of bills approved by lawmakers in the final days of...

Rhode Island lawmakers approve bill to ban "captive hunting" operations

Jun. 12, 2024 14:59 PM EDT

Lawmakers have approved legislation that would let Rhode Island join the more than half of states with a full or partial ban on “captive hunting” — a hunt that occurs within a structure designed to restrict the free movement of animals and prevent them from escaping. The bill...

No 'calamari comeback'? The squid chef from Democrats' 2020 convention says he's a Trump backer

Jun. 08, 2024 08:11 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The “calamari comeback” chef who delighted viewers of the last Democratic National Convention might not be coming back. John Bordieri was dubbed by some as the “calamari ninja” for standing wordlessly, clad head-to-toe in black, and holding a platter of...

Bill requiring safe storage of firearms set to become law in Rhode Island

Jun. 07, 2024 14:14 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — A bill that would require the safe storage of firearms in Rhode Island has been approved by lawmakers and is awaiting the governor's signature. The bill, which won final approval from lawmakers on Thursday, would require all firearms, when not in use by the owner or...

New Rhode Island law bars auto insurers from hiking rates on the widowed

Jun. 04, 2024 14:51 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A new Rhode Island law prohibits auto insurers from charging policyholders more solely because they have been widowed. The new law bans insurers from treating widows or widowers any differently than married people in terms of classification or rates...

What are leaking underground storage tanks and how are they being cleaned up?

May. 29, 2024 09:44 AM EDT

For more than a decade, some residents of the tiny Richmond, Rhode Island, neighborhood of Canob Park drank and bathed using tap water that had been tainted by gasoline that leaked from storage tanks buried under service stations a few hundred yards from their homes. They spent years battling oil...

LIV Golfer Richard Bland wins Senior PGA in his senior major debut

May. 26, 2024 17:06 PM EDT

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Richard Bland had time off from LIV Golf and made it pay off in a major way Sunday when he won the Senior PGA Championship in his senior major debut, closing with an 8-under 63 for a three-shot victory at Harbor Shores. In a final round delayed by about...

U.S. Sailing drops federal lawsuit in settlement with Paul Cayard and America One Racing

May. 22, 2024 20:13 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. Sailing has settled its federal lawsuit against veteran sailor and executive Paul Cayard and the America One Racing foundation, the sport's governing body announced on Wednesday. Dropping the lawsuit removes a major distraction that had overshadowed the...

7 postal workers charged with mail theft from Rhode Island distribution hub

May. 15, 2024 18:04 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal prosecutors charged seven postal workers with stealing mail — targeting brightly colored cards that might contain checks or gift cards — as part of mail theft ring, officials said Wednesday. A supervisor and six workers collaborated to remove...