Latest news with #RhodeIslandFoundation
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
East Providence celebrates Pride month with flag raising, parade
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — East Providence celebrates Pride month with a flag raising ceremony and a parade. State and local leaders, including keynote speaker Rhode Island Foundation President & CEO David Cilcilline, Senate President Val Lawson and Mayor Bob DaSailva gathered at City Hall, for the flag raising at 10 a.m. A parade then departed, making its way through the city, ending at Weaver Library, where food, entertainment and other vendors were available. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
06-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Here's what Rhode Island's movers and shakers are reading
Here's a rundown. David Cicilline Rhode Island Foundation president and CEO The book traces the slow, insidious, and ultimately deadly impact of the 'Big Lie' on the Jewish residents of a small German village ahead of World War II. It delivers a terrifying lesson about how ordinary people can become desensitized to the growing danger at their doorstep. Advertisement Martha L. Wofford Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island president and CEO Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Dr. Topol's book provides evidence of how lifestyle, environmental exposure, and our genes and epigenetics impact our health. He shows how dysregulation of our immune response and inflammation is driving major diseases like cancer and autoimmune conditions. As we face an aging population in Rhode Island, and as a nation, Dr. Topol's book provides hope that there is a path to improving health as we age -- through diet, exercise, sleep, social connection, and reducing environmental toxins, combined with ongoing breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating age-related diseases. Laurie White Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce president Advertisement The degree to which Judge Caprio's life's purpose was shaped at a young age by the lessons imparted by his loving parents – particularly his dad, Tup, on the milk truck delivery route on Federal Hill. The book left me in tears. It mirrors my own sentiments about the influence of my mom and dad and the small business they started together in the 1950s (and still exists today.) Judge Caprio vividly takes the reader through the lessons of hard work and everyday acts of compassion that lift your soul. It is no coincidence that he has 25 million followers on social media. These are the lessons that resonate throughout the world. Rele Abiade Consultant My daughters were reading this graphic novel, and we were talking about how it had been banned in Texas. I skimmed through it because I was curious why anyone would be triggered by a book nine-year-olds loved. Of course it was one of the best books I have probably read! The main character is a gifted student who goes to a predominantly white private school and the book explores how he gracefully navigates through social dynamics. I wish I had books like this as a child because I related to Jordan (the main character) and despite some situations it really is a positive story. I think every adult should read it, especially during these interesting political times where diversity and inclusion is no longer seen as a necessity by some. Guess what? It is! Advertisement Cortney M. Nicolato United Way of Rhode Island president and CEO It talks about perseverance and the power that love can have on someone. In times like this, I want to spend my spare time being inspired and celebrating love and joy wherever possible. Kelli J. Armstrong Salve Regina University president Colin is a resident scholar here at Salve and leads our Nationhood Lab project. I find his ideas to be absolutely brilliant. In 'Union,' he describes how important it is for the US to have a common narrative, one that could hold its rival regional cultures together. Colin is an historian, and his ability to illuminate how we have evolved as a nation and how these patterns are affecting our current divisions is fascinating. Neil Steinberg Rhode Island Life Science HubBoard chair My preferred genre is the thriller category; it started with Robert Ludlum many years ago. Marcela Betancur Latino Policy Institute executive director I am a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers, and this one kept me on my toes the whole time. It's rare when I get to the end of a book without knowing what's happening or 'who did it' - but this one did it! This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Advertisement Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Route 6/10 contractor settles environmental violations with state for $11M; criminal charges dropped
Signs pointing towards Routes 6 and 10, along with Interstate 95, in Providence's Silver Lake neighborhood. The neighborhood is one of three where children will have priority for dental care with funds secured by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in a settlement with Barletta Heavy Division Inc. of Canton, Mass. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The Massachusetts company accused of dumping thousands of tons of contaminated soil during construction of the Route 6/10 Interchange in Providence and lying about it has paid $11 million to settle criminal charges set to go to trial next month. Nearly all the money will go toward funding dental care for Providence children living in neighborhoods near the highway, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in announcing the settlement with Barletta Heavy Division Inc. during a news conference at his Providence office Wednesday. The settlement was signed May 15. Complaints over contaminated soil surfaced in the summer of 2020 after workers voiced concerns about excessive dust. Barletta, based in Canton, Massachusetts, claims such allegations were the result of a scheme involving extortion and bribery by its now-defunct competitor, Cardi Corp. The AG's office filed criminal charges against Barletta in early 2023 after the company had agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle federal charges over the issue. The state charged Barletta with two counts of illegal disposal of solid waste, one count of operating a solid waste management facility without a license, and one count of providing a false document to a public official. Neronha said the $1.5 million federal fine wasn't enough to deter future use of contaminated fill in Rhode Island. 'For there to be any hope that Barletta learned their lesson, they would have to pay a lot more,' Neronha said. Under the settlement, Barletta will contribute $10 million toward a newly-created Attorney General's 6/10 Children's Fund, which will be managed by the Rhode Island Foundation to address health needs and concerns of children in Providence. Priority will be given to children living in the Olneyville, Silver Lake and West End neighborhoods. Rhode Island Foundation CEO David Cicilline lauded the state's settlement agreement, noting that Neronha's goal is central to the nonprofit's work. 'Focusing the funding on neighborhoods where health disparities are high won't just close gaps in access to care; the benefits will spill over into their everyday lives,' Cicilline said in a statement. 'Children who are healthy can concentrate on school, enjoy play and contribute to their communities, creating pathways to a brighter future.' Another $750,000 will go to the AG's office to pay for investigation and prosecution expenses. The remaining $250,000 will go to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, which investigated the contamination claims. 'Getting them to this point was not easy,' Neronha said. 'Barletta knew what it did a long time ago, and it was not necessary for them to take this long.' Under the terms of the settlement, Barletta admitted to all the claims made in a civil complaint filed on Tuesday. The state alleged that Barletta dumped more than 4,500 tons of stone and soil containing arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the Pawtucket/Central Falls Commuter Rail Station and a stockpile from Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood at the Route 6/10 Interchange construction project. The Route 6/10 project reconstructed the interchange at Interstate 95 and involved replacing or removing seven structurally deficient bridges. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation awarded Barletta a $247 million in 2017 contract to rebuild the interchange. 'It wasn't hazardous, but it was contaminated for certain,' Neronha said of the soil. Barletta attorney Shannon Reilly said the company is eager to move forward from the case, which was scheduled to head to trial in Providence County Superior Court June 9. The case is now permanently closed and cannot be brought back to court. 'With today's settlement agreement and the dismissal with prejudice of all criminal and civil charges in this case, Barletta is pleased to put this matter behind us and looks forward to continuing our long history of successfully and responsibly delivering world class public infrastructure projects,' she said in an emailed statement. 'We will not have any further comment on this matter.' Barletta has claimed it is no longer able to obtain work in Rhode Island because of the use of contaminated soil on the 6/10 project. Neronha cited a 2024 Providence Journal article on rising tooth decay among children in low-income and immigrant neighborhoods in Providence as his motivation for using the settlement funds toward a grant program. 'There's no child in Rhode Island that should face that experience,' Neronha said. 'I want every kid to be proud of their smile.' Neronha said he chose to have money administered by the Rhode Island Foundation rather than go to the state's general fund because he felt Barletta's impact was neighborhood specific, rather than an entire state issue. '$10 million is a lot of money, and I wanted it to be used for kids who are facing a crisis but live in that area,' Neronha said. Unlike multistate lawsuits, the Barletta settlement does not have to go directly into state coffers, Neronha said. He noted his predecessor Peter Kilmartin disbursed proceeds to nonprofit environmental groups from the state's 2017 settlement with Volkswagen over misrepresenting emissions. Neronha said he hopes funds from the Barletta settlement will start covering kids' dental care before his term as the state's top prosecutor wraps up in 2026. 'I've got 18 months to go. I want to see movement,' Neronha told reporters. Details for how the money will be disbursed are still to be determined. Greg Stepka, a North Smithfield-based dentist who attended the press conference, told Rhode Island Current he would like to see the $10 million go toward more community health centers and dental buses that visit schools, along with the creation of a centralized surgical center. 'This is a win-win,' he said. 'The kids need this.' Barletta is among 13 contractors the state is suing for negligent work on the westbound Washington Bridge. Seven defendants, including Barletta, tried to get the case dismissed, but Judge Brian Stern denied their petitions on Feb. 27. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Boston Globe
R.I. settles with Mass. contractor charged with dumping contaminated fill at Route 6/10 construction site
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'Companies that treat our state as a dumping ground and place the health and welfare of Rhode Islanders at risk, as Barletta has here, must face real consequences for their unlawful conduct,' Neronha said in a statement. Advertisement Of the money received, $10 million will be directed to the Rhode Island Foundation to establish a new fund to provide dental care for children and teens in Providence neighborhoods closest to the site, particularly Olneyville, the West End, and Silver Lake, Neronha said at a press conference. The attorney general said the idea for the fund came from a desire to have the settlement benefit residents most impacted by dust kicked up around the construction site. Advertisement After some families in the area hired legal counsel and opted not to be part of the settlement, Neronha said he was inspired to put the money toward improving adolescent dental health upon reading a In 2024, one in four Providence elementary and middle school students had unmet dental care needs, Neronha said Wednesday. Dr. Fotini M. Dionisopoulos, president of the Rhode Island Dental Association, said in a statement dentists have 'raised the alarm' about the growing oral health crisis facing the city's children. 'By investing these funds in pediatric dental care, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of this crisis and bring lasting relief to families who have waited far too long for meaningful support,' Dionisopoulos said. Neronha told reporters that he hopes this $10 million investment is just the start. 'We'll figure out a way to keep this going,' he said. 'I want every kid to have a smile they're proud of.' Of the remaining $1 million, $750,000 will be used to cover investigation and prosecution expenses for Neronha's office, and $250,000 will cover investigation costs for the state Department of Environmental Management, according to officials. Under the terms of the settlement, prosecutors have also dropped three criminal charges filed against Ferreira, who provided a false environmental testing report to the state, pleaded nolo contendere to a charge of giving a false document to an agent, employee, or public official in Providence Superior Court on Wednesday. Advertisement A plea of nolo contendere means the defendant neither accepts nor denies responsibility for the charges, but agrees to accept punishment. The dismissed charges included two counts of disposing of refuse somewhere other than a licensed facility, and operating a solid waste management facility without a license. Judge Maureen B. Keough sentenced Ferreira, 67, of Holliston, Mass., to a one-year suspended prison sentence and one year of probation, records show. In a statement, Barletta said it is 'looking forward to putting the 6/10 matter behind us, getting back to competitively bidding without restriction, and continuing to do what we do best – successfully and responsibly delivering world-class infrastructure projects.' 'This settlement reflects a business decision that is the result of protracted delays in the litigations towards reaching a resolution, combined with the fact that even with what Barletta is sure would have been a positive result at trial, could have and likely would have resulted in appeals by the State and even more prolonged litigation, further continuing the [crippling] effect of this filing on Barletta's continued operation,' the company said. 'Barletta is and has been a responsible contractor in Rhode Island and elsewhere, and of particular note is the fact that there has been no previous, nor even any subsequent, allegations of any such conduct or violations in Barletta's history, including in the five years since these allegations.' State prosecutors first Advertisement The company reached a non-prosecution agreement with federal authorities, through which it was ordered to pay a $500,000 criminal fine. Barletta also settled under the federal False Claims Act for $1 million. Barletta noted on Wednesday the latest settlement 'and the facts admitted … are entirely consistent with the facts previously agreed to in the Federal Non-Prosecution Agreement entered into with the US [Department of Justice] in October of 2022.' The fill in question has since remained at the site: Officials have previously said experts determined trying to dig up and remove it would pose more of a public health risk than leaving it where it is – a point Neronha re-iterated on Wednesday. 'We kind of are where we are,' he said. Work is still underway on the $410 million Route 6/10 project, which involves building nine bridges, including two new ones, according to the state's Material from a previous Globe story was used in this report. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Open a new CollegeBound Saver account in May and get $250
The office of Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa is giving out $250 to the first 160 families who sign up during May 2025 for the state's 529 Plan. (Getty Images Plus) The first 160 Rhode Island families to open a CollegeBound Saver account for a child up to 5 years old during the month of May using a promo code are eligible to receive $250 to jumpstart their education savings. The offer was announced by the office of Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa Thursday in partnership with the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children. 'When we talk about giving kids the best start, it's not just about those first steps — it's about building a future full of opportunity and support,' Diossa said in a statement. An account must be opened on the CollegeBound Saver website with the promo code 529Day to receive the promotion. An account takes about 10 minutes to set up, according to the website. CollegeBound Saver is Rhode Island's iteration of a 529 plan, which is intended to boost families' savings for future education costs for children or other beneficiaries. Rhode Island plan assets grow tax-deferred and withdrawals are tax free when used for higher education costs. Savings can be put toward expenses at any accredited university or college in the U.S. or abroad. They can also be used for trade and vocational schools and registered apprenticeship programs. Last year, Diossa's office participated in 529 Day, the national celebration of 529 plans, and deposited $300 contributions into new CollegeBound Saver accounts through a partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation and the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner. That promotion lasted for 24 hours and kids ages 3 through 7 were eligible. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
