Latest news with #RhodeIslandCurrent
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A time-tested reading curriculum all Rhode Island schools should get behind
Kerry-Ann Edmondson, known as 'Miss Kerry' to her first-grade students at the Compass School, a charter school in North Kingstown, uses the University of Florida Learning Institute reading curriculum to help achieve reading fluency. (Photo by Julia Steiny for Rhode Island Current) In a buzzy first-grade classroom at Compass School in North Kingstown, kids greet friends while leisurely working on the 'Do Now' tasks posted on the white board. Some practice typing with laptop software; others puzzle over books. One group pretends to look busy while chatting discreetly. Soon, their teacher, Kerry-Ann Edmondson — 'Miss Kerry' to the kids — pulls the class together for a lesson with the lauded University of Florida Learning Institute or UFLI curriculum (pronounced You Fly). UFLI teaches teachers how to help kids learn and apply every skill necessary to acquire accurate, confident reading fluency, with dramatic results. During the first part of these 30-minute sessions, the class reviews concepts they've already learned, constantly practicing before taking on a new one. Earlier that week, they'd learned about the suffix 'ed' that changes verbs into past tense. Today will add to their understanding of suffixes with the 'es' that makes words plural. First, Edmondson has students write out sentences at their desks that make 'base' words plural, 'bosses,' 'dishes.' After using a few activities to teach the new concept, Edmondson shifts to helping the kids apply the new concept in a narrative context which naturally has all sorts of opportunities for her to quickly correct mistakes. On the board, Edmondson posts a roughly 100-word story about Alex and two foxes who live in a den near a lake. 'What is the first thing a reader does?' Edmonson asks. 'Find the words you don't know,' chimes a student chorus. If a kid can adequately decode a word, getting all the sounds right, but has no idea what the word means, reading didn't happen. Imagine the English language learners who might be terrific at sounding out words, but need an increasingly broad language background to know what words mean. All kids have gaps in their backgrounds that need attention to get them to fluent reading comprehension. The kids flag 'lake,' 'bush' and 'den' as unfamiliar. OK, do any of the kids know what these words mean? One student says a 'lake' is a really, really big puddle. They discuss that and the other words, teasing out meanings with Edmonson's encouragement. The story is full of plurals as well as present tense verbs that end with 's,' which is confusing. More than once, Edmondson clarifies the distinction with explicit instruction. If a kid can adequately decode a word, getting all the sounds right, but has no idea what the word means, reading didn't happen. Finally, they read. They unpack, decode and then encode each word to practice automaticity. (That means during the nano-second it takes to read this sentence, you are not sounding out words because the sound/letter combinations have become automatic. You belong to the one-third of American readers who already have a full set of the building blocks of reading and writing.) Nationally, about 31% of American 4th graders read at their grade level. In Rhode Island the percentage is 33%. For 50 years, researchers insisted reading instruction hew to what's called the 'science of reading.' But during that time, most districts did not use science-based reading instruction but struggled with the failures of Whole Language, Balanced Literacy, and the guessing-dependent Caulkins' workshop model. As 40 states passed reading laws mandating science-based reading instruction, educators at every level scrambled to find appropriate curricula. Curriculum publishers slapped 'science of reading' on re-tooled or hastily created materials that everyone knew had holes and weaknesses. UFLI was developed over the course of nearly 30 years, refined along the way as University of Florida developers piloted their work-in-progress with cooperating Florida districts. Teachers were invited to critique the curriculum as well as to share fun or effective tricks for how to put across each concept. Having classroom teachers field test curricula components is rare. As a result, when the program was published in 2023, it included a wealth of downloadable materials, detailed lesson plans, activities, and assessments. Compass adopted it in 2023. The program gives students in K-2 all the reading building blocks they need to become proficient: the 20 vowel sounds, 44 phonemes (the smallest unit of spoken sound), and 250 graphemes (the sound of a letter or combination of letters that make up a sound). These tiny units combine to make tens of thousands of morphemes, the stand-alone words that might include single letters – 'I' – to base words with suffixes, to use today's example. Teachers in later grades use the exact same UFLI scope and sequence to ramp up older struggling readers. The scope and sequence is summarized here. UFLI has its detractors, but from my reading of teacher Facebook groups, the objections largely have to do with teachers' fondness for other programs they're using. But most teachers are thrilled to see their readers learning much more quickly and confidently than they had with other programs. As research and teacher innovation evolve, UFLI might lose its go-to status. But for now, it is by far the most complete, best sequenced, most teacher- and kid-friendly set of reading skills assembled. Low-performing districts in particular should take note. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers approve outdoor dining change to help Matunuck Oyster Bar after devastating fire
The damaged Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown is shown on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the date of a devastating fire believed to have been accidental. (Photo by Laura Paton/Rhode Island Current) Appreciation for South County's acclaimed Matunuck Oyster Bar transcends political party, evidenced by the Rhode Island General Assembly's universal support to change state outdoor dining regulations on the restaurant's behalf. Companion bills sponsored by South Kingstown Democrats, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee and Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski were each approved by their respective chambers in separate, unanimous votes Thursday. Each chamber must still give the rubber stamp to the other's bill — a process known as concurrence — before the legislation heads to Gov. Dan McKee's desk. McKee has already indicated his support. The eleventh hour proposal, introduced in the Rhode Island State House one week earlier, offers a temporary solution after a fire permanently closed Matunuck Oyster Bar on May 20. Perry Raso, restaurant owner and oyster farmer, has cooked up a plan to host diners in a neighboring marina parking lot this summer, which requires a few tweaks to existing state regulations governing al fresco eateries. 'While we know summer at Matunuck Oyster Bar won't look the same this year, this creative solution is a great first step toward welcoming diners back to our tables and keeping our staff working and earning wages during this busy season,' Raso said in a statement Thursday prior to the votes. Raso said he can keep about 50 members of his 300-person staff on the payroll this summer under the mobile kitchen plan. 'This bill is not only about outdoor dining, it's about protecting jobs, supporting small business and keeping our economy going,' said Rep. Kathleen Fogarty, a South Kingstown Democrat whose district includes the restaurant and Raso's home. Outdoor dining is no longer a novelty, having become a staple for the state's hospitality industry in the wake of the pandemic. In February 2024, lawmakers approved a new state law regulating outdoor dining, allowing cities and towns to limit outdoor dining on public property and set capacity caps, while protecting restaurant owners from overly restrictive local limits on operating hours and parking. The bill passed by both chambers Thursday amends the 2024 law, permitting 18 months of outdoor dining — or until the building is 'fit for occupancy' — for restaurants closed due to casualties like floods and fires. Municipal governments would also need to OK the workaround measure for affected restaurants in their communities based on existing local ordinances. Restaurants could serve alcohol outside, too, if they already have a local liquor license. The added flexibility for outdoor dining in emergencies expires June 30, 2027, though Senator Leonidas Raptakis, a Coventry Democrat, urged fellow senators to consider making the change permanent. 'I think this is a very good tool that helps all businesses in Rhode Island,' Raptakis, who used to own Venus Pizza in Coventry. 'I don't want to see this happen to any business.' Across the rotunda, Minority Whip David Place,a Burrillville Republican, lobbied unsuccessfully to make the proposal permanent. 'I don't want this to just be here for one business, I want it to be here for every business,' Place said. McEntee, however, said the sunset provision aligned with prior, pandemic-era outdoor dining laws, which all began as temporary measures and, if proven effective, became permanent. Place ultimately voted for the legislation as presented, including the 2027 expiration. The South Kingstown Town Council passed a resolution at its June 9 meeting supporting the state policy change, as requested by Elizabeth Noonan, an attorney representing Raso. The South Kingstown Town Council must also approve details of Raso's outdoor dining plans, which had not been submitted to the town as of Thursday afternoon, Town Council President Rory McEntee. He is the son of Rep. McEntee. 'We look forward to sharing our plans for al fresco dining in the marina parking lot across the street from the Matunuck Oyster Bar if and when this legislation is enacted, and we remain committed to take any step we can to preserve as many summer shifts for as many of our employees as possible,' Raso said Thursday. Details on a permanent rebuild and reopening of the famed, 16-year seafood restaurant were not immediately available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Rhode Island Office of the State Fire Marshal, Matt Touchette, a spokesperson, said Thursday. A preliminary investigation suggested it was accidental, and not caused by commercial cooking equipment. Rep. Megan Cotter, an Exeter Democrat, recused herself from the vote. Cotter sold the restaurant fish through her job as director of business development and category management for Foley Fish, she said via text Thursday night. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
R.I. overdose deaths decline for second year in a row
Publicly-accessible Boxes containing Naloxone, an opioid reversal drug also known by the brand name Narcan, line up outside the East Bay Recovery Center in Warren. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Rhode Island saw its lowest number of fatal drug overdoses since 2020, according to health department data presented to the Governor's Overdose Task Force on Wednesday. 'This is a sign of hope,' Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement Wednesday. 'We know there is still much work ahead, but the steps we are taking are saving lives.' This is the second year in a row that overdose deaths have dropped. There were 329 Rhode Islanders who died from overdoses in 2024, representing an 18.6% decrease from 2023, and a 25% drop compared to 2022. That means the state is well on its way to achieving its goal of a 30% reduction for 2030. The goal was set in 2022, the year a total of 436 people died of drug overdoses. The 2024 data demonstrated another longstanding trend now broken: For the first time since 2013, cocaine-related deaths were implicated in 61% of fatal overdoses, surpassing the 57% of deaths associated with fentanyl. All opioid-related overdoses, in fact, fell from 85% the previous year to 69% in 2024. But more than one substance can contribute to an overdose, so distinguishing the role of cocaine or fentanyl in a death is not so neatly accomplished. A large portion of overdoses — 118 in all — involved both substances being used in tandem in 2024. About three in five people who died from cocaine also had fentanyl in their system. The annual overdose data is compiled and interpreted by the Rhode Island Department of Health's (RIDOH) Substance Use Epidemiology Program, which finished reviewing the 2024 results last week, according to Joseph Wendelken, a department spokesperson. The data is largely based on autopsy and toxicology findings from the Office of the State Medical Examiners. Personal medical history also informs the coroners' findings. The data does not include deaths with undetermined causes. 'Though decline is encouraging, this is still an incredible loss in our community,' Heidi Weidele, the health department's lead fatal overdose epidemiologist, told the task force Wednesday during her presentation on the data. The scale of loss did not affect all people equally: 70% of overdose deaths in 2024 were men, a number consistent with recent years. Similarly, people ages 45 to 54 were the largest age-based cohort of overdose deaths, followed by people ages 55 to 64. By race, non-Hispanic white Rhode Islanders comprised the largest share of overdoses at 73%, even though they were also most likely to have a history of substance use treatment. Most of the state's overdoses were concentrated in urban areas, with Woonsocket, Providence and Pawtucket reporting the highest numbers. Though decline is encouraging, this is still an incredible loss in our community. – Heidi Weidele, lead fatal overdose epidemiologist, Rhode Island Department of Health Weidele said the deceased most commonly worked in 'natural resources, construction, maintenance, and service occupations, which is similar to what we've seen in past years,' she told the task force. 'And service occupations would be things like health care support, law enforcement, food preparation, grounds maintenance, and personal care.' Other statistics from the report painted a grim picture of the deceased leading up to final moments: Most never sought substance use treatment, or received medical treatment for a previous overdose. Eight out of 10 died in private, in a home, garage or camper. Most overdosed alone, with no bystander present in 60% of cases. The availability of lethal drugs has also influenced overdose trends over the years. In 2009, prescription drugs accounted for 62% of overdose deaths. By 2020, prescription drugs accounted for only 9% of fatal overdoses, while illicit drugs like fentanyl and cocaine comprised 72% of overdose deaths. In 2024, the state actually saw 34% of deaths attributed to combinations of illicit and prescription drugs combined — the highest percentage since at least 2009. A few uncommon culprits in overdose deaths were still marked as 'substances of concern' by the state health department. These included novel benzodiazepines, tranquilizers which belong to the much broader category of research chemicals — substances derived from or chemically very similar to legal and regulated drugs. In this case, novel benzodiazepines like clonazolam — about two-and-a-half-times stronger than Xanax — accounted for nine fatalities in 2024. Brown University researcher: Street drugs are getting more potent and more mysterious Xylazine, a veterinary anesthetic increasingly being used to cut street-sourced opioids, was another rogue substance that continued to impact overdose data in 2024. It was involved in 37% of opioid-related deaths. 'Every single overdose death is preventable,' Health Department Director Dr. Jerry Larkin said in a statement Wednesday. 'Recovery is within reach for every person living with the disease of addiction.' McKee strengthened the Overdose Task Force — a coalition of more than 150 members divvied up into nine workgroups — in 2022 via an executive order, hoping to ensure a sustained state response to the opioid overdose crisis. Among the initiatives it steers are determining how to dispense opioid settlement funds, naloxone distribution networks, peer outreach, and recovery support and public awareness campaigns. Earlier this year, Rhode Island also opened the nation's first state-regulated harm reduction site at Project Weber/RENEW in south Providence, where people can use drugs and receive medical attention in the event of an overdose. Despite a fierce floor debate in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, legislation to extend the injection site's pilot authorization was extended by the General Assembly and later signed into law by McKee on June 6. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five of six potential candidates meet signature requirements for Senate District 4 special election
A campaign sign in a North Providence front yard supports Stefano Famiglietti in the race to fill the vacant Rhode Island Senate District 4 seat. Famiglietti has the endorsement of the district Democratic committee. (Photo by Janine Weisman/Rhode Island Current) Four Democrats and one Republican are still in the running to fill the open Rhode Island Senate District 4 seat, having met the signature requirements ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, according to the Rhode Island Secretary of State website. A potential sixth contender, and the only independent candidate for the race, Stephen Tocco, withdrew his declaration of candidacy on Monday, Faith Chybowski, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State, confirmed in an email. Tocco, a retired chief of Rhode Island Capitol Police and former Smithfield Town Council member, said he decided to withdraw after seeing the number and quality of other candidates. 'I figured, why become a spoiler and hurt one of the two candidates in the general election,' Tocco said in an interview Tuesday. 'I might have gotten 6-10% and that could have hurt either candidate. I didn't want to do that. We need good people out there in the public arena. The seat spanning parts of North Providence and Providence became vacant after the death of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio on April 21. Ruggerio, a Democrat, had held the seat since 1984. The four Democratic candidates seeking the seat will compete in a primary election on July 8. Candidate Stefano Famiglietti, a North Providence City Councilor, will appear first on the ballot, having secured the endorsement of the Senate District 4 Democratic Committee. The Secretary of State's Elections Division will hold a lottery Wednesday to determine the order in which the remaining candidates will appear on the primary ballot. They are Lenny Cioe, a registered nurse; former state Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell; and Manny Taveras, brother of former Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. The lottery will also decide the order of the Republican or Democratic Party candidates on the general election ballot. As the only Republican candidate, Alexander Asermely, a lawyer, automatically advances to the Aug. 5 general special election. The winner of the election will serve the rest of Ruggerio's two-year term, through 2026. State lawmakers are paid $19,817 a year. The registration deadline for the July primary was Sunday, July 8. Registered voters have until June 17 to apply for a mail ballot. Early voting runs from June 18 to July 7. More information for candidates and voters is available online. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Push to raise Block Island ferry landing fees moves forward at R.I. State House
Both New Shoreham and Narragansett are asking for a 50-cent increase to passenger landing fees to absorb the costs associated with providing municipal services, including public safety, for tourists, like those seen arriving here at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current) Sailing away on the Block Island Ferry may soon cost more, pending the passage of state legislation that would increase traveler landing fees to and from the island for the first time in nearly 35 years. Two companion proposals in the Rhode Island General Assembly — each with a Senate and House version, for a total of four separate bills — would authorize a 50-cent increase in the landing fees charged to passengers ages 12 and up arriving at both Narragansett's Port of Galilee and Block Island's Old Harbor. That would mean a total increase of $1 per passenger for a round-trip to and from the island. 'For every person that steps off the ferry, there is assessed a landing fee to help the municipalities cover expenses that they are responsible for on both sides of that journey, from police details to garbage pickup to area maintenance and things like that,' Sen. Alana DiMario, a Narragansett Democrat and sponsor of the two Senate bills, said at a May 27 committee hearing. On Tuesday, the House and Senate floors will vote on their respective versions of the bill to up the fee on Block Island's side, and the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing will hear the bill to raise the fee at Narragansett's port. The Senate passed its version of the Narragansett bill on June 3. The price range of a round trip for riders aged 12 and up is between $16.60 and $20.60 for the traditional speed ferry, which takes about an hour from Galilee. The high-speed ferry takes about half an hour and costs $57 with the landing fee. The traditional ferry runs year round, while the high-speed service runs on a more limited timetable in the off-season. At both ports, those prices add on a 50-cent surcharge for each passenger arriving by boat, which is collected from both private vessels and ferry operators, with the latter redirecting this surcharge into ticket prices. While Narragansett raised its landing fees from 35 cents to 50 cents in 2022, New Shoreham's fee has not budged since 1991. But the town services supported by the fees certainly have, according to Amy Land, New Shoreham's interim town manager, the only municipality on Block Island. 'This includes funding for seasonal police staff, support for the Block Island Medical Center, for fire, for rescue services, recreation, maintenance of public restrooms, improvements to beaches and public access,' Land told the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing at a May 1 hearing on the New Shoreham bill. 'So all those expenses that are derived from our tourist economy, and clearly the volume and costs of providing those services have increased and escalated in the 35 years since the landing fee was first introduced,' she added. A hot summer's day on Block Island can draw 20,000 to 30,000 tourists on average, Land said. In recent years, the town has typically grossed about $180,000 to $190,000 in landing fees annually. Land said the majority of landing fee revenue — about $135,000 — comes from Interstate Navigation's ferry from Galilee. An additional $35,000 is collected from ferries out of New London, Connecticut, and Orient, New York. Smaller amounts flow from the Montauk ferry, plus passengers on ships that use the town's moorings, anchorages, and dockage. Land said the town is also collaborating with private marinas to have them collect and remit landing fees on the town's behalf. 'That seems like your collection is low, comparatively, because the only way to get there is by boat,' said Charlestown Democratic Rep. Tina Spears, who sponsored the bill on the House side. 'Not necessarily,' Land replied. 'We are confident that our primary channel, Interstate, is remitting fairly and appropriately. You may have people who come and stay for an extended period. You have others that come and go. So the timing of visitors is something we've always been challenged to document.' For every person that steps off the ferry, there is assessed a landing fee to help the municipalities cover expenses that they are responsible for on both sides of that journey, from police details to garbage pickup to area maintenance and things like that. – Sen. Alana DiMario, a Narragansett Democrat Rep. Lauren Carson, a Newport Democrat, suggested New Shoreham should raise landing fees more, then nodded to her own successful legislation last year that saw Newport raise its fees for docked cruise ships from $6 to $20 per passenger. 'We are hoping to come back more frequently over time,' Land said. In the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government, Chair Jake Bissaillon, a Providence Democrat, had only one question for lobbyist Rick McAuliffeof The Mayforth Group, which represents New Shoreham: Why wasn't the bill introduced alongside the previous Narragansett legislation in 2022? 'To be honest with you, we weren't prepared,' McAulliffe said. 'We wanted to make sure that we had a number that would justify the public safety and things that we have.' McAuliffe said there are two State Police troopers who come to the island during the summer, plus additional police detail to handle the summer months' massive crowds. The medical center is 'very full' on a hot summer's day, he added. 'Certainly, tourism dollars are important to the island, but there's a cost to host so many residents, so many tourists,' McAulliffe said. 'I can't say we won't come back in another 35 years.' In March, the New Shoreham Town Council originally considered asking the General Assembly for permission to raise the landing fee from the current 50 cents to $1.75 — a $1.25 increase. Councilors voted on March 27 to seek approval from the General Assembly for the $1.25 landing fee increase. But at the April 2 council meeting, Interstate lawyer Michael McElroy said that such a drastic increase would trigger Narragansett to do the same and ultimately push round-trip landing costs to increase by $3.25 per passenger, according to the Block Island Times. '$1.75 is a big deal and Narragansett will want to match it,' McElroy was quoted in the Times. The New Shoreham Town Council revised its plan on April 9 to reduce the proposed increase to 50 cents, for a $1 landing fee on the island. DiMario's first bill submitted on April 16 had sought the $1.25 increase. A week later, councilors met with DiMario and Spears virtually to align their proposals on Smith Hill with the requested 50-cent increase. McElroy's hunch about Narragansett was confirmed on May 19. On that night, the Narragansett Town Council approved a resolution for a 50-cent increase to match New Shoreham. Interstate Navigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story. Each of the four bills must pass both the House and Senate before the legislation can arrive on the governor's desk. The bills would take effect upon passage. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
