HOT

Ody

Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) K9 Ody was presented with a ballistic vest during a ceremony on Monday.

Ody is the partner of Sgt. Stephen Hauser.

The vest was donated by the son of retired Correctional Officer Albert Marcotte who worked at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for 29 years. 

The vest is made by Vested Interest in K9s; a Taunton, MA-based non-profit. 

HOT

Michael Marcello

East Providence Mayor-Elect Bob DaSilva has named former State Representative Michael  Marcello as the new city solicitor.

Marcello was once the chief political rival to Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello.

Marcello, a practicing attorney in Rhode Island for more than 24 years, is a partner in the Providence practice of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, a California-based law firm.

Prior to joining the firm in 2016, Marcello served as solicitor for the City of Woonsocket where he advised the Mayor and City Council on legal matters. Marcello also served in a civic capacity at the local level, as a councilman on the Scituate Town Council and at the state level as Representative of District 41 (Scituate/Cranston).

“Having served with Mike Marcello in the General Assembly, I saw first hand his work ethic as well as his dogged advocacy for open and ethical government,” DaSilva said.

“Mike’s legislative and council experience, combined with his experience in negotiating labor contracts and serving as counsel for city departments will be an asset to the City of East Providence.”

Cliff Weitzman

Weitzman is a Brown grad and was elected by Forbes as one of its 30 Under #0 honors.

His company Speechify has created a brilliant tool to help those suffering from Dyslexia.

His first-person column in GoLocal this week was mesmerizing and shared on Facebook some 1300 times.

It is a powerful read.

Lara Salamano

Salamano, the Chief Marketing Officer of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, is off to Infosys.

She helped the state of Rhode Island rebound from the embarrassment of "Cooler and Warmer" -- a communication embarrassment and a fiscal disaster.

Salamano reinvented Rhode Island's tourism campaign -- and working with NAIL, created the "fun-sized" strategy. 

At Infosys, she will head the Providence office which promises to hire 500. Rhode Island tourism's loss might be an even bigger Rhode Island business gain.

NOT

Durgin Park

Another part of old New England has died.

Faneuil Hall’s oldest restaurant, Durgin Park — established in 1827 — will close for good on January 12, ending the era of one New England’s longest runs.

The history of the restaurant is intertwined with Boston’s history. The announcement came on Thursday.

NOT

Driving Under the Influence

Rhode Island State Police arrested 16 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol over the two-week holiday period.

“There is simply no excuse for anyone driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. The Rhode Island State Police will continue to aggressively pursue, arrest and prosecute anyone who drives while under the influence, putting the lives of everyone else at risk,” said Colonel Ann Assumpico.

The 16 arrests also resulted in the seizure of a handgun, an illegal knife (a switchblade) and illegal narcotics.
 

NOT

Flu Season

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is warning that the flu is widespread in Rhode Island and that the state’s requirement for unvaccinated healthcare workers in hospitals to wear masks during patient contact has been triggered.

"The masking requirement helps protect healthcare workers from catching the flu, and helps protect patients who are often dealing with other serious health issues. For people who have not been vaccinated yet, it is not too late. Flu vaccine is the single best way to keep yourself and the people you love safe from the flu. Getting vaccinated today will provide you with months of protection,” said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH.
 

NOT

Government Shutdown for RI

The federal government has been shut down for a little more than 13 days and Rhode Island is one of the states it is impacting the most.
According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Rhode Island is the 11th most affected state in the country.

Last month U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse condemned the shutdown. Whitehouse issued the following statement on the looming shutdown of parts of the federal government following President Donald Trump’s rejection of the stopgap spending bill passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate:

Read more here:

 

NOT

Apple -- And Stock Market

The Dow dropped 660 points on Thursday --  2.8% -- after Apple said it will likely miss its quarterly sales forecast because of weakening growth and trade tensions in China.

One of the world's most widely held stocks, Apple plummeted 10% for its worst day in six years and is now the fourth-biggest public company, behind Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet (GOOGL).

According to Refinitiv data, this is the S&P 500's worst two-day start to a trading year since 2000.